


Proving Them Wrong

by butrfac14



Series: Proving Them Wrong [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Adult Content, Chapter 2 is very smutty, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Katniss is an only child, Teenage Shenanigans, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, chapter by chapter, completed work, cursing, follows them through the years, fun story, lapping/cruising, lots of flashbacks, misogynistic assholes, sorry/not sorry, summertime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2019-12-18 18:04:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18255065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butrfac14/pseuds/butrfac14
Summary: This story was written for the Everlark Fic Exchange Springtime Edition 2019, based of prompt #45 submitted by animekpopxx: They fell in love young, they married young. People keep telling them that it's not going to last. Well, they are proving them wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to javistg and xersia31 for moderating the exchange. 
> 
> And thank you ladies for your time and efforts! This is my first year participating and it has been so much fun.
> 
> Thank you to animekpopxx for the great prompt, and a HUGE thank you to my beta/emotional support writing friend evvykurler.
> 
> Of course I own nothing Hunger Games Related, and this is all for fun.

_16_

 

“Later boys!” Johanna calls to them, pulling her shirt back down to cover her breasts once the light turns green. The tires make a chirping sound and she sways back and forth from her perch on the truck’s toolbox as the vehicle rounds the corner.

 

Katniss secretly wishes that she’d fallen off the back.

 

Finnick doubles over with laughter once Johanna is out of sight. “Holy shit!” He slaps Peeta on the back after straightening up. “Come on man, even you have to admit they looked nice.”

 

Peeta shrugs. He seems embarrassed, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck.

 

“Dude, that was for you-she knows that I'm taken!”

 

Katniss fumes from where she stands, leaning against the hood of Finnick’s car. Why is she even here tonight?

 

Panem is host to the phenomenon of “lapping”. Teenagers through mid twenty year olds pile into their best looking vehicles on Friday nights, from early spring through late fall, and drive the streets of Panem to see and be seen after dark.

 

There are no hard and fast rules to lapping, only designated groups.

 

Gearheads drive fast American cars. You didn’t dare show up with anything less than a V6 under the hood of your Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, or Dodge, and there were even a few lucky guys with classic muscle cars like Finnick, who had managed to get his hands on a 1968 Chevelle SS that he’d promptly christened _Justine._

 

Then there were the farm kids. The boys always drive trucks or suvs, the bigger the better. Within the group there is a plethora of plaid and Wranglers. Boots and ball caps are strongly encouraged.

 

Import drivers make the circuit in foreign cars with aftermarket exhaust systems and huge trunk deck spoilers. They usually spend as much money on their stereo systems as they did on the cars themselves.

 

Girls are definitely afforded more leeway when it comes to the condition of their vehicles. The guys are always happy just to see them show up, because no group of boys in their right mind would turn up their noses at a carload of girls, even if they do arrive in their dad’s old station wagon.

 

There are designated spots for each group, and the locals mostly stay put in their parking lots or alleyways. They hang out beside their vehicles, only taking a lap occasionally, while the kids coming from out of town cruise almost the entire time.

 

The generally recognized “loop” starts down by the courthouse, continuing up the main drag before turning right through the alley beside Haymitch’s sporting goods store, and back around to the other side of the building before dumping you out beside the light.

 

If the light happens to be red then you have just been afforded another opportunity to rev your engine and show off, and on warm summer nights like this the traffic is bumper to bumper.

 

Finnick gives Katniss an evil smile that makes her feel like hurting him. “What do _you_ think about that, Kitty Cat? Do you think our friend here ought to take a lap around the block with Johanna, maybe see what happens?”

 

“I think that you should watch what you say while your girlfriend is at work, _Finnick_. And I don’t give a damn what Peeta does,” Katniss grits out. It’s a total lie of course, but what else is she supposed to say? Her pride is on the line. “It’s his business, not mine.” Her words sound too sharp, but there’s nothing she can do about it now.

 

As painful as it is for her to admit, she notices Peeta.

 

All of the time.

 

In fact she can’t seem to stop noticing him.

 

It started innocently enough one morning when Katniss was sitting in their third period Geometry class. She happened to glance over at Peeta and found herself _mesmerized_ by him. It was bright out that morning, and she noticed how the sunshine lit up his eyelashes. They looked like spun gold ( _That’s ridiculous,_ Katniss thought, _who says things like “spun gold” anyway?_ ), and she couldn’t tear her eyes away- she simply _had_ to watch and see if the strands would get tangled up in each other when he blinked.

 

Her gaze moved on to Peeta’s broad shoulders, which looked pretty darn good in the tight _Panem High Wrestling_ t-shirt he was wearing. His kissable ( _kissable?)_ lips were pursed as if he was in deep thought, and the eraser end of his pencil tapped out a rhythm against the desk. She glanced down to look at the sketch he was working on- a dandelion turned white, with its puffy tipped seeds spilling up into the corner of the page. Peeta cleared his throat, and at the sound she looked up into his inquisitive eyes.

 

Katniss felt herself flush. “I didn’t know that you liked to draw.” That had been another lie, but it was the only thing that she could think to say to him.

 

And why had she been staring at him in the first place? Katniss felt embarrassed, so she turned and faced forward after that, vowing that he wouldn’t catch her looking at him again.

 

The funny thing was, Katniss realized that she wasn’t the only one looking. She could feel his eyes on her during class, but as soon as she turned her head Peeta would look away. Days, weeks, and months went by this way.

 

By now it was July, and school had been out for over a month without a word from him. Frankly it all just irked her. If Peeta couldn’t be man enough to say something to her, than she would just forget about him, and his stupid beautiful face. And those eyelashes. And those shoulders...

 

It was actually pretty hard to forget someone when you spend such a disproportionate amount of your time thinking about them.

 

Katniss is closely examining her nail beds when she hears the rumble of a large motor. “What does this asshole want?” She hears Peeta say in a low tone, gesturing toward the truck that has pulled in.

 

Gale Hawthorne.

 

The lanky farm boy slides out of his F350 and shuts the door, smoothing his dark hair back before reaching through the window to grab his hat. “Hey Catnip,” he calls out, striding her way.

 

Gale Hawthorne is a bit of a conundrum. He’s known around town as a player, showing up every weekend with a new girl to ride shotgun beside him in his truck. For some strange reason, he’s started to show an interest in her, and Katniss hates it.

 

Kind of. The attention is nice, but she doesn’t want to encourage him.

 

Tonight though, she is feeling pretty pissed off- at Johanna for showing off her ‘assets’ and flirting with Peeta, and at Finnick for going on and on about it. They all knew that Katniss would rather die than do something like that, and the fact that her own ‘assets’ were much smaller than Johanna’s didn’t help either.

 

Most of all she feels pissed off at Peeta for ignoring her. Still.

 

“Hi Gale, how you been?” She pushes herself off of the hood of _Justine,_ walking closer to him, flashing him her best smile. Without even turning around, she can feel Peeta’s eyes bore into the back of her head.

 

Good.

 

Gale’s eyes light up. She’s never openly expressed any sort of an interest in him, and he seems thrilled at the attention. “I just thought that I’d pull in to see if you want to take a ride through town with me.”

 

“Yeah, I’d love to. That’s a nice looking truck you’ve got there.” Katniss gestures towards his vehicle, fully aware that she is laying the flattery on so thick that she ought to be wearing waders.

 

“You guys going to be here for awhile?” she asks Finnick after a moment, since he is her ride.

 

“Yeah, sure.” He leans back against his car, arms folded over his chest with a smirk on his face, while Peeta stands next to his friend, avoiding her eyes. His jaw is clenched tight. He’s staring off into the street, and the irritation practically radiates off of him.

 

“Okay, lets go.” Gale opened the drivers side door, gesturing for her to climb in. His monstrosity of a pickup truck has a lift kit and oversize tires, making it a difficult for Katniss to pull her short frame up into the cab. She struggles for a moment, trying to get in, before strong hands wrap around her waist and lift her up onto the bench seat.

 

Katniss moves across to the passenger side of the truck while Gale makes a pouty face at her, patting the empty space beside him. “There’s plenty of room right here, Catnip.”

 

Why not? Might as well make it look good. She scoots over to the middle seat and he throws the truck into drive, pulling out of the parking lot and into traffic. Katniss glances over her shoulder at the other boys as they leave, noticing that the two of them seem to be having an animated conversation. Finnick is pointing his finger at Gale’s truck, while Peeta shakes his head, before looking away once again.

 

“So how’s the summer treating you so far?” Gale asks, reaching over to turn down his radio.

 

The wind comes in through the open windows, blowing the loose strands of hair from her braid. She attempts to tuck them behind her ear. “It’s okay. I’ve just been working a lot. I’m trying to save money to buy my own car.”

 

“That’s cool. The farm keeps me pretty busy, too.”

 

Katniss stares out the front window, and feels uncomfortable with the lull in conversation. She racks her brain, trying to come up with something else to talk about. She doesn’t really know Gale very well, and hadn’t thought this far ahead when she agreed to ride along with him. All she really had planned on doing was pissing Peeta off. Now here she is, stuck with Gale, and realizing as the minutes pass in silence that conversation isn’t exactly her strong point.

 

Gale runs his hands back and forth across the top of the steering wheel once they come to a stop at a red light. “Cato’s mom and dad are gone for the weekend, and he’s going to have a party at his house tonight. I’m actually headed out there now - if you want to go with me. His parties are usually pretty fun, there’s always a bonfire and lots of alcohol.”

 

Katniss sneaks a quick look at him before glancing away. Gale is good looking, but there really isn’t anything about him that makes much of an impression on her. He’s just sort of _there,_ in a dark and broody way.

 

She realizes that going to Cato’s party with him is actually the last thing she wants to do. “No, I don’t think I'd better. I have to work in the morning.”

 

Gale shrugs his shoulders. “Okay. I’d better drop you off with your friends then.  I told Cato that I’d be out to help him tap the keg.”

 

 _Thank goodness,_ she thinks as Gale circles around the corner and pulls into the lot next to Finnick’s car. He throws the truck into park, and turns to look at Katniss.

 

Gale clears his throat “Maybe I’ll see you later?”

 

“Maybe.” She glances out the passenger side window at Peeta, who is currently choosing to look at the ground again. Great. There’s a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she wonders why this little trip with Gale seemed like a good idea in the first place. Her anger has faded, and now all she feels is disappointment in the pit of her stomach. Maybe she’ll just ask Fininick to run her home when Gale leaves.

 

Katniss is just getting ready to scoot across the bench to open the passenger side door, when Gale puts a hand on her cheek and leans in quickly to kiss her on the lips, catching her completely by surprise.

 

Her first kiss.

 

From Gale _freaking_ Hawthorne.

 

Katniss feels like she’s been robbed of something, and is pretty sure that a first kiss isn’t supposed to make you feel this way.

 

“I just had to do that, at least once.” Gale says as he opens his door and gets out. He holds it open for a minute, waiting for her to follow.  Katniss slides across the vinyl seat and jumps out of the passenger side door instead, slamming the thing closed before stalking towards _Justine as_ a feeling of shame washes over her.

 

Which is stupid, because she didn’t ask Gale to do that.

 

“Katniss?” It’s Peeta-now he’s paying attention, of course. He sounds angry, but his focus is not on her. His blue eyes are blazing and wholly focused on Gale. “What the hell was that, Hawthorne?”

 

Gale shoots him a cocky grin, and leans against the side of his truck, shrugging his shoulders. “What’s it to you, Mellark? Last time I checked you weren’t her boyfriend.”

 

“No, asshole, I’m not. But I am her _friend_ , and I don’t think that she wanted you to do whatever that was in there that you just did. Not every girl wants your stupid paws all over her.” Peeta walks over to where Katniss is standing and puts his hand on the small of her back. “Are you okay? Do you want me to kick his ass?” Peeta’s voice is low, and he steers Katniss around so that she is facing away from Gale.

 

She laughs weakly, shaking her head. “It’s okay, Peeta. I’m alright.”

 

“That’s rich, Mellark. I’d like to see you try it,” Gale taunts, while Peeta chooses to ignore the dig directed his way. “I’ll see you later, Katniss,” he calls out, climbing back into the cab of his truck.

 

“Don’t count on it.” Katniss mumbles, staring at her feet. She steps out of the way to let Gale pull out and doesn’t look up again until she hears the screech of his tires across the blacktop. Katniss lets out the breath she has been holding, and looks up into Peeta’s concerned gaze. “I’m sorry.” Katniss tells him, crossing her arms over her chest to cover herself.

 

Peeta scowls at her. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

 

“I kind of feel like I brought that on myself.” Katniss looks over his shoulder, feeling angry tears welling in the corner of her eyes. “I don’t even like him, and I just feel so _ughh._ Stupid. Why did I get in there with him? I know what Gale’s like.”

 

“I should have kicked his ass,” Peeta fumes. “A guy forcing himself on you is _never_ your fault.” He cracks his knuckles. “What a dick.”

 

Just being in this close proximity to him is enough to help her relax, and she looks up into his face, studying his features. _Why have I been waiting so long for him to tell me?_  Katniss thinks, _It’s obvious how he feels about me, I’d have to be an idiot not to see it._

 

There’s some irony to it- the girl who isn’t good with words is going to be the one to say it first. “That was my first kiss, you know.” Katniss tells him.

 

Peeta just huffs, shuffling his feet in place.

 

Katniss finds that she isn’t that upset anymore. Maybe she’s just starting to look at the kiss from Gale as a springboard, the catalyst to get her to this place with Peeta right now. “Do you want to know the worst part? The only thing it made me feel was disappointed, because it wasn’t _you_.”

 

Peeta stares at her, the shock evident in his features. He swallows hard and then opens his mouth a few times, trying to find his words. For someone who is normally so eloquent, it’s pretty funny, and the way that his mouth flaps reminds her of a fish.

 

Eventually though, he does come up with a one-word response. “Really?”

 

Katniss nods. “Definitely.” She steps near him, tipping her head back to look up at his face. She rests her hands on his biceps and waits patiently.

 

Peeta gives her a sweet, shy smile before bending down to meet her.  “How about if I'm your second then?” He speaks the words into her lips, and then he’s there. It’s just a whisper of a kiss at first, but Katniss whimpers, the feel of lightning shooting down her spine. She moves closer to him, opening her mouth to get _more_ , pouring all her pent-up frustration into the kiss. Peeta grunts in surprise but slips his tongue into her mouth, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him.

 

Somewhere in the midst of their frantic kissing she hears Finnick holler, “Finally!” Peeta just waves a hand to shoo their friend off while horns blare and the sounds of catcalls and whistles can be heard from the cars that pass them by.

 

He pulls back from her eventually, breathing hard. “Katniss, I can’t believe this. Does this mean… does this mean that you’ll be my girlfriend?”

 

The smile on her face is ear to ear, and she leans forward to kiss him again. But the moment is cut short when Finnick approaches the pair, seizing the opportunity to talk before the two of them start going at it again.

 

“Hey lovebirds, congratulations on finally getting your shit together. I hate to break up the party, but I have to go pick up Annie at work. Do you guys want to take a spin through town before we head to the drugstore?”

 

Katniss raises her eyebrows. Time alone with Peeta in the back of Finnick’s car? That’s a no-brainer.

 

Maybe if she’s lucky one of Gale’s friends saw them making out and would pass the word along to Hotlips Hawthorne.

 

“Yeah,” Katniss says, climbing into the backseat of _Justine_ and practically dragging Peeta in after her. “Let’s go for a ride.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to katnissdoesnotfollowback for letting me bounce ideas off her, and for steering me away from taking this chapter in a weird direction...
> 
> Thank you jrosely for betaing this for me, you are wonderful!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter...
> 
> I own nothing related to The Hunger Games or 80's or 90's boy bands/rock groups.

19

 

The click of the key turning in the lock gets her attention- Peeta’s home. Katniss quickly gathers up her textbooks and notes and shoves them off the couch onto the end table. They live in this house with four roommates, and tonight has been the rare occasion where she's had the place to herself.

 

Finnick and Annie are out of town at a family reunion. Thom is at The Arena, an outdoor concert venue. Katniss doubts that they’ll see him again tonight. And Madge?

 

Madge is out with Gale Hawthorne of all people.

 

It’s been years since the night of her ride through town with Gale, and Katniss figures that she should probably forgive him by now. He’s still an arrogant prick, but his misguided lip lock got her to open up and finally admit her feelings to Peeta after months of silently watching and waiting for him to make a move.

 

And Peeta? He’d turned out to be even better than she thought. She knew that he was a nice guy. She knew that he was attractive.

 

What she hadn’t known about Peeta was how deep his layers went. He was kind, thoughtful, smart, and passionate about the things that mattered most to him, including her.

 

_They spent the rest of that summer together attached at the hip. (Well, it was more like being at attached at the lips, because they really couldn’t keep their hands off of each other for very long.)_

 

_The week before school was supposed to start back up the two of them were on the roof of the bakery downtown. The evening was a farewell to the easy days of summer where he’d pick her up after work and take her out for a drive or to the Dairy Queen. He’d packed a picnic basket of food for them to eat while they laughed and talked._

 

_The food had been gone for hours, and now that it was dusk Katniss lay with her head on his lap while his fingers combed and twisted her loose hair. It was almost too relaxing, the combination of his hands carding through her hair and the warm evening breeze, and she could barely keep her eyes open._

 

_“The sky is really pretty tonight, isn’t it?” She said to keep herself awake. “I wish that summer wasn’t about over.”_

 

_Katniss tilted her head back to look at Peeta and the little half-smile he wore on his face._

 

_“Me too,” his hands dropped from her hair, and he leaned back to rest his weight on his palms of his hands. “Is this your favorite time of year?”_

_“No, I’d have to say Spring. I love to see everything turn green again after winter is over, and I actually hate snow. You?”_

 

_“I like fall. That color right there is my favorite.” Peeta lifted one hand and pointed at the sunset. The sky had settled into a mostly soft orange, with hints of red and pink around its edges. “The whole world is on fire in the fall.”_

 

_Katniss was quiet for a minute, and she stretched her head back against his thigh. “Pretty much any time of year that it isn’t cold is good for me. I’m so skinny that I can’t seem to keep warm.”_

 

_“You aren’t skinny.”_

 

_She rolled her eyes at him. “You’ve at least got to admit that I could use a few more curves.”_

 

_“Nope.”_

 

_Katniss had always been a little insecure about her slim frame, with her flat hips and minimal chest._

 

_“Hey,” his tone was serious, so she sat up and looked at him. “You’re beautiful. Perfect just the way you are.”_

 

_He was so sincere that she couldn’t help but believe him._

 

_Peeta pulled her back against his chest so that they could snuggle up and watch the setting sun. “Besides, you’ve got me to keep you warm.”_

 

“Hey,” Katniss calls out to her boyfriend as he pushes the door open. He looks exhausted with his hair all over the place and red eyes. “Rough day?” She asks, sliding over on the couch to make room for him.

 

Peeta plops down beside her. “You have no idea.” He scours his palms back and forth across his face. “I’m sorry, I wanted to get home sooner tonight.”

 

“You don’t need to be sorry, it’s not even that late yet.” She rubs her hand across his shoulder blade. “Now that we’ve established that, tell me about your day. Spill.”

 

He peeks at her from between his splayed fingers and sighs. “It’s nothing new. Mom blew up at the new kid they hired for the late shift, so I got stuck staying to close up again.” Peeta straightens out his back. “I was hoping to surprise you with something special tonight, but instead of that you’re getting my dead-tired ass.”

 

”It’s fine. Whatever it is can wait.”

 

“Yeah, but I had plans…” he is starting to let the guilt settle under his skin, and that’s not something that Katniss wants to happen right now.

 

_That fall Peeta took her to her first homecoming dance at Panem Senior High._

 

_The night was surprisingly fun. Katniss had never been big on school events, but with Peeta she had a great time. They danced little, but every time a slow song played they went out on the floor. Maybe it was the way that they spent the evening closely pressed together, swaying together with her head on his chest, but something seemed to shift between them that night._

 

_“I have a key to the bakery, do you want to go back there?” Peeta asked when the dance was over and they were in his car, their kissing and touching had taken on a new sort of frenzy._

 

_Katniss agreed, and before long they were lying together on the couch inside the bakery office. Peeta had her strapless dress pushed down over her breasts, kissing and touching her for so long that she was starting to feel crazy._

 

_Peeta was breathing harshly, and his eyes raked over her body, from her flushed face to her bare breasts, down to where her skirt was bunched up around her waist._

 

_She felt every inch of his burning gaze, and her body was a live wire. In a bold move, she reached down to the fly of his pants, taken over by a sudden urge to touch him._

 

_“Is this alright?” She asked. When he exhaled loudly and nodded, she pulled down the zipper and slipped her hand into the front of his underwear. The sound he let out when she tentatively brushed his penis made her pull back quickly._

 

_“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” Katniss cringed._

 

_Peeta grabbed her hand before she got very far. “No. No…that’s not it, I just wasn’t expecting it to feel so good.”_

 

_“Do you want me to do it again?”_

 

_It was kind of comical the way he nodded his head so quickly._

 

_Peeta sucked in a breath as she moved her hand back to the front of his pants and slid it under the waistband of his underwear. He felt different than she thought he would, hard and hot laying against his flat stomach, but his skin was soft. She ran her fingers over his shaft, and felt him twitch as she continued up. Katniss wrapped her hand around him and rubbed her thumb across the wetness that had accumulated on his tip._

 

_Peeta opened hazy eyes to look at her, and reached out to tug her closer, kissing her open-mouthed as she ran her hand over him._

 

_“Can I touch you too?” He breathed against her lips, and Katniss pulled away, surprised. She hadn’t really thought that far._

 

_“You want to?”_

 

_Peeta nodded, his face serious. “More than anything.” His eyes were intense, the blue rims barely noticeable around his blown-out pupils._

 

 _Katniss let out the breath that she was holding. Her head was swirling but her body was saying_ **_please_ ** _. ”Okay.”_

_Peeta moved up from his reclining position and laid her back against the couch, hovering over her. He slid his hand under the hem of her dress, skating up the inside of her thigh to the edge of her panties._

 

_To help distract herself from the nerves that were taking over, she leaned up and captured his lips with her own. The familiar feel of his mouth against her own soothed, while her body thrummed with anticipation._

 

_His fingers slid down the front of her panties. She felt his hands brush through the short curls, and then across her swollen lips. Katniss’s body jerked up in response to the caress. His touch felt better than she could’ve imagined._

 

_He ran his fingers across her, not purposefully, simply exploring the new terrain. She was so wet that it made an audible sound in the quiet room that mingled with their heavy pants and her occasional gasp._

 

_Intense pressure was building and she wimped as he moved lower, inserting a finger inside of her. She ached for something there, but even his digit was a tight fit._

 

_Peeta must have noticed because he immediately retracted his hand. She was ready to protest, but he shocked her when he climbed off the couch to push his pants down._

 

_“What are you doing?” Katniss sat up quickly._

 

_Touching was one thing, but sex?_

 

_Peeta noticed the panicked look on her face and stopped. “Oh, no. I just wanted you to keep...while I was, you know....” He looked a little sheepish and pulled his waistband back up. “I should have asked you first, I’m sorry.”_

 

_Katniss gave a nervous laugh, and put her hand over his. “It’s alright, go ahead and take them off. I thought that you were going to ask me to sleep with you.” She admitted to him._

 

_He closed his eyes. “I don’t think we’re ready to do that yet. Do you?”_

 

_Katniss shook her head. “Me neither.”_

 

_Peeta studied her face closely, and let his hands relax at his waistband. He hesitated, “If you’re sure this is okay?”_

 

_She reached out, and together they pushed his pants down around his knees._

 

_Now she could see him, long and hard. The color of his penis was darker than she thought it would be, and his hair was too, more light brown than the shade of blond that was on his head._

 

_Peeta laid back down beside her, and Katniss reached out to take him in her hand again. She was breathing hard as his hips jerked forward._

 

 _She looked up at his face as she stroked him, and the throbbing between her legs grew even stronger as she watched the expression of bliss that he wore._ “ _Peeta…_ ”

 

_He slid his hand back inside of her panties. Katniss spread her legs wide beside him and Peeta trailed his fingers up higher. She was shocked by the jolt of pleasure she felt when he hit a particular spot._

 

_But before they could get a rhythm going to find her release, his hand moved away. Peeta’s stomach muscles tensed and his pelvis arched. She felt his penis grow impossibly hard before he covered her hand with his own and hot fluid shot from his body. He gasped for air as she felt his semen run between their joined hands, his face completely slack while his eyes were screwed up in ecstasy._

 

_When he was able to open his eyes again Peeta stared at her in awe, before he kissed her hard._

 

_After they had cleaned up the mess, Katniss tugged on the neckline of her dress until it was back in place, and Peeta pulled his pants up and adjusted his belt. “Was that good?” She asked him, feeling a little shy suddenly. It was too quiet in the room._

 

_Peeta shook his head. “Good can’t describe what that was. Are you sure you don’t want me to try to…?” He sat back down beside her and rested his hand on the inside of her thigh. “I really want to do that for you too.”_

 

_“Not tonight, but soon.” Katniss assured him. “I’d better get back home.”_

 

A change of subject is just the thing. “Did you know that we’re the only ones here right now?”

 

A slow smile creeps across his face, his eyes lighting up with interest. “I did remember that, now that you mention it. What should we do with that information?” He scoots closer to her on the couch.

 

Before he can get any farther, Katniss takes his hand and drags Peeta to his feet. “Why don’t you go take a shower?”

 

He looks slightly disappointed at being shot down, but seems to recover quickly enough when she reaches around to squeeze his ass. “Do you want to come with me? I’m awfully dirty and I might need some help.”

 

It’s tempting. She thinks about the last time they showered together, the way he balanced her on the grip bar as he…

 

Katniss finally shakes her head _,_ “You go ahead. But hurry, because I have a surprise for you.”

 

_When Peeta dropped her off at home that night, it was as if her mother knew. Could she tell what had happened between them? Katniss was horrified at the possibilities of where this conversation could go._

 

_“Where have you been?” She was cornered just inside the door._

 

_Katniss stared at her. “You know where I was, with Peeta.”_

 

_Lilly Everdeen sighed and shook her head. “Don’t you think maybe you’re too young to be so serious with him? You’re only 16.”_

 

_“Mom...”_

 

_“What if someone better comes along? You should be dating around, keeping your options open.”_

 

_Katniss gaped in disbelief that first time (it wouldn’t be the last) those words left her mother’s mouth. Where was this coming from?_

 

_What did her mother think this was, the 1950’s? An episode of Ozzie and Harriet where a different boy would come and  pick her up every week for a school dance or a trip to the malt shop?_

 

_What kind of reality was she living in?_

 

The sound of the shower shutting off reaches her ears as she places the last candle on the coffee table. The lamps are off, the room enveloped in the soft glow of candle light.

 

“Hey.”

 

She looks at Peeta standing with a towel wrapped around his waist in the doorway, his eyes raking up and down her body.

 

Katniss smirks at him and strolls his way, swinging her hips a little. “What do you think?”

 

“That’s...ah, that’s nice.” Peeta can’t seem to take his eyes off of the new black lace bra and panties she’s wearing. The way the word _nice_ sounds coming from his mouth right now is anything but, as he stares at her like he wants to eat her alive.

 

Katniss places her hands on his hips. His chest is still dotted in droplets of water, and she licks a path of the iridescent beads from his pectoral up to his jaw before sucking at the hollow beneath his chin. Peeta pulls her close in response.

 

Katniss directs him backwards with a firm, steady pressure on his hips, finally giving him a shove downward when she feels him stop at the couch.

 

_For some reason Lilly had decided that Peeta wasn’t good enough for her daughter._

 

_The situation only got worse as time went on, and Katniss grew tired of living with someone who continually questioned her choices after they’d done a grade-A job of fucking up their own life._

 

_Katniss finally figured out that Lilly’s view of their relationship came from her own distorted take on life.  Katniss had been a toddler when her father died in a motorcycle accident, and she and her mother had struggled for years after his death. There was little money, and Lilly developed the unfortunate tendency of checking out mentally on a regular basis._

 

_It hadn’t been an ideal childhood._

 

_As for Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, their view of her was much the same but for entirely different reasons. They felt trapped by their marriage. An unplanned pregnancy was what brought them together, not love, and their oldest son was born soon after their wedding day. His middle brother followed four years later, and finally two years after that Peeta came along._

 

“Shit, Katniss,” Peeta lands hard on his ass. She crawls on top of him, straddling his hips and pressing her aching center down over his erection. “What’s gotten into you?”

 

“Just you.” Her mouth is insistent over his, immediately parting his lips and sucking on his tongue. He thrusts up and she groans at the feel of his hard cock pressing against her as they kiss, loving the feel of him in her mouth and between her legs.

 

Peeta encourages her to rub against him, the sound of his moans getting her there just as much as the feel of his body underneath her. He wraps his hands around her thighs before sliding them up to cup her ass, pulling her tighter against him.

 

His hands wander farther up her body, and when he reaches her breasts he squeezes over the lace covering, before pushing the flimsy material down past her nipples. He groans when they pop out to greet him, and Katniss sits up a little higher on his lap to give him the access they both want.

 

Peeta doesn’t make her wait, darting his tongue out to one of the hard nubs while caressing the other with light strokes of his thumb.

 

Between the hardness between her legs and the feel of his mouth and fingers on her breasts she’s tingly and wet.

 

Everything feels good but it’s not enough. Holding herself up a little more, she drops her hands down to the front of his towel and gently tugs on the corners to remove the offending material. They both sigh as it falls away from his lower half.  

 

Katniss reaches between her legs and takes his cock in her hand. She curls her fingers around his shaft and strokes him, her hand running from base to tip, her thumb spreading his precum across the blunt head.

 

Peeta’s hands drop to her thighs as he gasps for breath. She loves to see him lose control like this.

 

“I’m going to suck your cock,” Katniss breathes into his ear before pulling his lobe inside her mouth, demonstrating on the small piece of flesh what she intends to do.

 

“Wait, wait.” He begs. She gives him a puzzled look until he reaches behind her back and unsnaps her bra to allow her small breasts to spill out. He squeezes her lightly before running his thumbs across her nipples. His fingers continue to trail downward to her panty covered core, until he’s stroking her lightly over the lace.

 

She closes her eyes at the feel of him touching her, his fingers teasing her slit while his lips return to her breasts, licking and sucking. It’s decadent, the pressure of his fingers over the thin lace where she’s so sensitive.

 

Eventually she pulls back enough that his lips release her with a _pop,_ and Katniss climbs off of his lap to kneel on the floor between his legs.

 

She’d been such a late bloomer that sex rarely crossed her mind in her early teen years. Katniss was never the girl that secretly read Cosmo magazines for sex tips, or engaged in giggling conversations in the high school locker room after gym class. The word “blow job” wouldn’t have crossed her lips back then if her life depended on it.

 

But now she leans forward, looking Peeta right in the eye as she grasps his erection and runs the flat of her tongue in a slow path up to the head, swirling her tongue around the crown of his cock. His mouth drops open. “Shit.” He gasps, running one hand up the side of her neck and into the roots of her hair.

 

She shivers at the feel of his hand there, and takes the tip of his cock into her mouth, sucking while running her hand up and down his length. Katniss relaxes her throat before taking him deeper, humming as he fills up her mouth. She loves doing this to him, loves having his pleasure in her control like this.  Arousal seeps from her, and she rubs her thighs together to try and relieve the pressure.

 

“Katniss, Katniss.” He chants as she continues bobbing her head up and down, applying suction and releasing, alternately using her fist to stroke him when her mouth needs a break. She feels him grow harder around her tongue, and runs her free hand up over his thighs to his stomach, only to drag her nails back down across his skin.

 

Over and over she works him with her lips and tongue, until Peeta is practically shaking. He pulls her hair after one particularly hard suck, and Katniss feels his hips lift up off the couch to thrust into her mouth. He’s ready to come undone, so she quickly releases him.

 

_“What do you want to listen to? I got the new Matchbox 20 cd yesterday.” It’s a typical Friday night in June, a week after her high school graduation._

 

_Finnick called her up out of the blue to see if she wanted to go uptown with him to see their friends. Annie was working and Peeta was out for his oldest brother’s bachelor party._

 

_Katniss rolled down the window, and let her hand tap on the outside of Justine’s passenger side door. “What else do you have?” She asked._

 

_Finnick looked over at the pile of cd’s. “Umm, what about Backstreet Boys?”_

 

_Katniss just laughed and shook her head. “Why don’t we just listen to the radio?”_

 

_Finnick had to be the only guy she knew who was comfortable enough with his own manhood to admit that he listened to boy bands._

 

_“Maybe I should have brought along my old New Kids On The Block tapes.” She teased him as he slowed down for the stop sign._

 

_“Oooh, baby!” Finnick crooned, placing one hand over his heart, “please don’t go, girl.”_

 

_She reached over and turned on the radio before Finnick could get to the high falsetto notes of the song. He was no pre-pubescent Joey McIntyre._

 

“ _What do you have planned next?” Finnicks asked her as they cruised through town after they’d settled on a rock station. He waved and nodded at passing cars as they drove. Mr. Popularity._

 

_“Do you mean for school? I’m going to take some classes, keep working.”_

 

_Finnick was a junior at the local branch of State College where she was also enrolled for fall classes._

 

_His ears perked up. “Did you know one of our roommates is moving out? I kind of hoped that you might be interested in taking the room- the rent is cheap enough with five people. Madge is moving in too.”_

 

_“I don’t know Fin, I hadn’t really thought about moving out of my moms. Just figured that I couldn’t really afford it.” She hadn’t given it any serious thought, but the idea sounded better by the minute- the two of them had just gotten in a fight that morning. “Let me think about it, okay?”_

 

_Traffic was heavy, and on the drive through town they saw a lot of the regulars. Marv Tanner revved the motor of his Mustang 5.0 while the two of them sat on opposite sides of a red light, and Finnick responded by getting into the gas on Justine- just a little, because he loved the car too much to rev the motor hard or often at a stop._

 

_“Only idiots do that, Katniss.” He’d told her once. “That’s a good way to blow a head gasket.”_

 

_They took a few laps through town before pulling over at their usual stop. Finnick shut the car off and the two of them head over to the group gathered around their vehicles._

 

_“Hey Catpiss,” Johanna greeted Katniss, and nudged her hip._

 

_Any animosity that once existed between the two girls is long behind them._

 

_The fact that Jo had no real designs on Peeta helped bring their friendship along immensely._

 

_Finnick stuck his hands in his pockets, and nodded his head toward the street where vehicles drove by at a slow speed. “What’s going on up here tonight?”_

 

_“Not much,” Jo lifted herself up to sit on the hood of her car, and let her feet rest on the chrome bumper. “I think there might be some drama with the farm crew, though. I drove past their spot a little while ago and Madge was standing by herself looking pretty pissed.”_

 

_“That’s not her crowd, I bet it had something to do with Cato.”  Finnick remarked, leaning in closer to get the dirt from Jo._

 

_“I don’t even know what Undersee is doing with that idiot. He’s not even good in the sack. Not very generous, if you know what I mean. I called him ‘old two-pump’.”_

 

_Katniss couldn’t help but laugh, “I did not need to know that!”_

 

_“Well, you’re probably the only girl up here that doesn’t know that first hand.” Johanna hopped back down off her car. “Speaking of getting some, where’s Baker Boy?”_

 

_“He’s out with his brother tonight- the one that’s getting married. I’m pretty sure they’re just using him as DD, but you know Peeta.” Katniss shrugged. He hadn’t been terribly excited about going bar hopping tonight, but couldn’t really find a way to get out of it._

 

_“Yeah, Blondie is too nice for his own good.” Jo’s eyes crinkled up in the corner, “I bet you don’t have a Cato situation on your hands with that one.”_

 

_“Hey, I love girl talk as much as anyone, but there are some things even I don’t want to hear about.” Finnick grimaces, and Katniss just snorts at him. What a liar. She knows very well that Finnick is down for every dirty detail he can get. No subject is taboo._

 

_The traffic light on the corner turned green, and the distinct sound of a truck’s rumble could be heard as a Chevy Silverado pulled into their lot. Before the brake lights had a chance to flash Madge hopped out of the passenger side door and slammed it shut, hard._

 

_“Trouble in paradise?” Jo called out, and nodded in the direction of the pickup as it pulled out of the parking lot._

 

_“Cato is a fucking prick,” Madge muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. “I had to ask someone to drop me off, ‘cause I was going to kill him if I didn’t get out of there. He’s so drunk he’s barely upright.”_

 

_Jo rolled her eyes, “what else is new…”_

 

_Katniss shook her head at Jo, before turning to Madge. “What happened?”_

 

_“That asshole let it slip that he’s still fooling around with Clove. I feel like such an idiot, I should have known better!” She swore under her breath, “stupid fucker.”_

 

_While Madge and Jo mulled over the possibilities of castration an unfamiliar car pulled up to the curb, and Katniss was surprised to see her favorite blond climb out of the passenger side door._

 

_“Hey babe!” Peeta called, and she had to laugh when he stumbled a bit at the curb on his way to where they all stood._

 

_Apparently he wasn’t the designated driver tonight. “What are you doing up here?” Katniss asked, “the party can’t be over with already?”_

 

_“Nope, but I missed you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck, before giving her a sloppy kiss behind her ear. Katniss was pretty sure that he was trying to whisper, but his words weren’t coming out quietly at all._

 

_“It was getting kind of boring, so Phil’s friend dropped me off here. I think they’re going to a strip club or something, and I’d rather just see you naked.” He giggled and Katniss had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at him._

 

_“Well, you’re not going to see me naked for awhile.” She extricated herself from him and stepped back. Drunk Peeta had little concept of what constituted appropriate PDA, and Katniss didn’t want their friends to watch him feel her up._

 

_He pouted, “why not?”_

 

_Finnick approached the pair. “Hey, we’re going to take a ride through town. You two in?” He gave Peeta a once over, taking in his state of intoxication. “Yeah, you two are coming with- I don’t want anyone to get arrested for being drunk and disorderly.”_

 

_“Only if I get to sit in the back with my beautiful girlfriend.” Peeta wrapped his arms around Katniss and pulled her close once again. “She smells so nice…”_

 

_Finnick laughed, “Or arrested for public indecency.”_

 

_Johanna and Madge let Peeta and Katniss into the back seat of Justine, before they sat up front with Finnick on the long bench. Peeta’s hands immediately started to wander once the interior lights shut off._

 

_“Try to keep it PG back there, okay? I know this car makes you guys horny, but you’ve got to respect the ride. Do you know how much I spent on the new upholstery for my girl?” Finnick lectured, looking back at them in the rear view mirror._

 

_Katniss batted Peeta’s hands away from where he’d tried to sneak them up the bottom of her shorts. “Knock it off,” she laughed, but he just leaned in and kissed her, his hand moving up to caress her jaw._

 

_He parted her lips with his own insistently and slid his tongue into her mouth, and she could taste the tang of alcohol on him. His mouth was a little wetter and sloppier than usual, but his kisses were still doing what they always did._

 

_“I just missed you tonight,” Peeta had his lips on her neck again, and managed to keep his voice down enough this time so that no one else could hear him speak, “I kept thinking about what you did yesterday, it was the hottest thing ever.”_

 

_Last night she’d surprised Peeta at work when he was alone and closing up._

 

_Peeta had always been the son who’d wanted to take over the family business, and to Mr. and Mrs. Mellark that meant no time off after graduation, he was expected to pull 45-50 hour work weeks immediately._

 

_“I’ll give you something to think about when you’re here all those long hours,” Katniss told him, before she dropped to her knees and gave him an impromptu blow job behind the display counter._

 

_“Everytime I close my eyes I see you down on your knees.” His breath was hot against the shell of her ear and his hand slid down her body, across her sternum and between her breasts where he lingered to caress her over the thin fabric of her t-shirt._

 

_His words were driving her crazy, Katniss felt as though she could shove him down on the back seat and mount him right there. It had made things a lot more fun since she’d started on birth control pills a few months ago, but in a way it was bad because she now had a harder time saying no to him in situations like these._

 

_Finnick looked in the rearview mirror again and cringed. “I told you guys to mind my upholstery!”_

 

_“Finnick!” Katniss closed her eyes for strength. She couldn’t look into Peeta’s baby blues and reign in her lust-addled brain at the same time._

 

_Madge gave Finnick a hard smack on the arm as the approached the farm crew’s spot. “Pull over here. I want to give Cato a piece of my mind.”_

 

_“Oooh, drama. Yes!” Jo cackled gleefully as Finnick pulled Justine into the parking lot. “Are you going to kick his ass, Madgey?”_

 

_Finnick parked the car next to the gathering of jacked-up pickups and suvs, before he turned around to survey the back seat passengers. “Out. I don’t trust you two alone in my car right now.”_

 

_Grudgingly, Peeta and Katniss climbed out of the backseat of the car. Peeta threw his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear._

 

Peeta pulls her to her feet and shoves her underwear off. “Come here.”

 

Katniss once again straddles his lap and takes him in hand, and Peeta shudders as she slides down his cock until their hips are flush.

 

His hand wraps around her jaw and his tongue tangles with hers while she savors the feel of being full of him like this, he’s so deep inside of her that his tip brushes her womb. Their bare chests are pressed together, their bodies so close that she feels like they are one creature instead of two separate beings.

 

Peeta pulls back to look in her eyes, and the love and devotion he feels for her is all there, just as naked to her as their sweaty bodies.

 

Katniss captures his mouth, and he slides his hands down to cup her ass, encouraging her to move, their tongues a mimic of the desired motion. She takes the cue and slides with upward lifts of her hips, rubbing her clit against the base of his cock when she comes down from the stroke. Every time she does it, electric shocks course through her and she moans into his open mouth.

 

Peeta closes his eyes and grits his teeth, slumping against the back of the couch, letting her have full control. Katniss can tell that he’s trying to distract himself from the sight and feel of her bouncing up and down on his lap, because he’s close and doesn’t want to finish before she’s there too.

 

_”So where should we go?” Katniss asked him as he kissed behind her ear._

 

_Peeta shrugged and wrapped his arms behind her from behind. She could feel him hard against her backside and she wiggled her ass against him. “You gotta stop doing that,” he growled in her ear, “I’m not going to be decent to walk away unless you do.”_

 

_“Me? I’m not the one who started it.”_

 

_“Why don’t you fuckers get a room?” Gale Hawthorne spit out, and pointed in their direction with his beer bottle._

 

_There was still some weird, unresolved tension between the three of them._

 

_“Katniss just so happens to be moving in with us.” Finnick added, leaning back against his car. “So they could ‘get a room’ any time that they want.”_

 

_She scowled at him. “I never said that Fin. You just asked me if I wanted the room tonight!”_

 

_“I’ve got my own place.” Gale sneered. “I wouldn’t let my girl move in with two other guys, Mellark. You can’t trust any of ‘em.”_

 

_Katniss felt Peeta tense up behind her, but fortunately Finnick was the one to speak up._

 

_He wasn’t going to give Peeta the chance to take the bait. “You are a damn idiot Hawthorne…not everyone has a rich daddy handing out houses for them to live in.”_

 

_“Shut the fuck up already, you’re just jealous.” Jo rolled her eyes at him._

 

_“You guys ready to go?” Madge appeared suddenly, and there was sniveling coming from behind her, where Cato stood with a bloody nose._

 

_“Bitch!” he muttered, his hand held over his face. The hulking boy looked ready to murder somebody._

 

_It probably was time to go._

 

It doesn’t take long, just one more downward thrust and grind against the base of him. She goes first, before taking him over the edge with her, spasming around his cock as light flashes behind her eyes.

 

Peeta grunts and pushes up to meet her, and when her body seizes up so hard that she tumbles against him, powerless to support herself, he holds her up and rocks his hips into her, drawing their climaxes out.

 

They are a panting, gasping mess when Katniss opens her eyes to look at him.

 

He leans forward and kisses her hard, desperately. “Marry me,” Peeta mutters against her lips before claiming them again.

 

“Of course,” she says between welcome assaults of his lips. It isn’t the first time they’ve talked about this, so she’s not surprised by his words.

 

Although this is the first time he’s said it while still inside of her.

 

Instead of letting her climb off of him, Peeta leans over and reaches into the top drawer of the end table. He retrieves something from inside of it, clasping the item in his hand before closing the drawer once again.

 

_“You should do it,” Peeta told her as Finnick pulled Justine out into traffic._

 

_“Do what?”_

 

_“Move into the house with them.”_

 

_Katniss chewed on her lip. “I think I want to, honestly. I’m not sure if I can afford it though.”_

 

_“I could help you out with some money if you needed it sometimes.”_

 

_“Peeta…I can’t let you do that.”_

 

 _Her boyfriend shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t_ **_Peeta_ ** _me, it would be to my benefit as much as yours.” He squeezed her hand. “As much as I like sneaking around with you, it would also be nice…”_

 

_“...to not have to sneak around so much.” Katniss laughed and kissed him. “I’ll think about it, okay. I love you, you know that?”_

 

_Peeta kissed her back. “Me too. Always.”_

 

“What are you doing?” Katniss laughs when she tries to get up. Peeta refuses to let her, instead wrapping his arm more tightly around her middle to keep her in place.

 

“Getting this.” He says quietly, and opens his hand to reveal a pearl ring resting in his palm. Peeta takes her left hand, and slides the band onto her ring finger.

 

_Moving in day with Finnick and their friends had been the last day of June. The day would have been exciting enough, but Katniss hadn’t done it alone._

 

_Peeta had shown up at her house the week before, obviously shaken. She wasn’t expecting him that night and his appearance took her by surprise._

 

_“Do you have a minute?”_

 

_Katniss nodded and followed him out to sit on the front porch steps. Peeta grasped her hand._

 

_He stared out at the street, his jaw tense. “I just got into a huge fight with my mom. I had to get out of there.” His knee bounced up and down in agitation._

 

_“What happened?”_

 

_“I…” Peeta scratched the back of his head, looking chagrined. “Don’t be mad, but Mom decided to take a look at the security tapes. I guess she thought that she needed to check up on me.”_

 

_“Peeta, you told me that you would delete that!”_

 

_He grimaced, and wouldn’t look at her. “I know, I’m sorry!”_

 

_She put her face in her hands. “They already hate me…” The thought of facing Mrs. Mellark again with the knowledge that she saw what they did at the bakery that night made Katniss feel like she could vomit._

 

_Peeta snorted. “Well, my mom hates me too so don’t feel bad.” He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, and pulled her hand along with him. “I need to get my own place, I can’t stay in that house with them much longer. They have no respect for me or my privacy, it’s like living with a damn warden. I’ll lose my mind.”_

 

_“Move in with me.”_

 

_“What?” Peeta turned to face her, “Katniss, you don’t have to do that.”_

 

_“I know that I don’t.” She grabbed his other hand, and he searched her face to gage the weight of her words. “I want you to move in. I want to wake up and see your goofy face every day.”_

 

_“Are you sure?” He still looked hesitant, but the idea seemed to be growing in him._

 

_“Peeta, you know that I don’t do things that I don’t want to do. I want you to move in with me. I was going to ask you to after I moved in anyway.” Katniss admitted, and looked down at their joined fingers._

 

Her eyes are round in shock as she looks back and forth from her hand to his eyes, solemn and full of promise.

 

“I’m sorry it’s not a diamond. When we have more money, I’ll buy you something better.” Peeta says quietly. He actually looks nervous. “So what do you say?”

 

What else is there to say?

 

“Yes. Yes of course I’ll marry you.” Katniss smashes her mouth to his.

 

“And the ring is perfect.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr, I'm @butrfac14. Thanks for reading, I live and breathe for comments so please let me know what you think! (and I love talking to all of you!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to miss jrosely for betaing this chapter for me lightning fast!
> 
> Come find me on tumblr, I'm @butrfac14. I love to talk, and comments & feedback are always appreciated. 
> 
> This chapter does contain sexual content and some swearing. If that ain't your thing, turn back now...

22

 

Katniss feels warm breath on the back of her neck before the pressure of a familiar pair of lips follow. “Hey baby,” Peeta greets her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

 

“How were things today?” She asks, setting the paring knife on the counter so that she can run her hand across his arm.

 

His voice is low behind her ear. “I took in cake orders for three weddings right before closing. A good day, nothing unusual.” It’s summer- the busiest time of year at the bakery. Fall comes in a close second, and customers have already begun to submit their orders for autumn weddings.

 

Katniss relaxes into his embrace, and while she’s distracted Peeta takes the opportunity to reach out and snatch a broccoli floret off the carefully arranged crudité tray. She harrumphs, a scowl that as yet is unseen by her husband curling across her face as she listens to him laugh.

 

Peeta thinks he’s so sneaky with his neck kisses.

 

Okay- so his touch _is_ a bit disarming, but it just so happens that she chooses to play along with him.

 

Every single time though… hmm, maybe he is on to something. But seriously, he needs to stop stealing the food. Katniss turns around and glares at him. She shouldn’t need to remind Peeta of the opening a crappy looking vegetable platter leaves for his mother to hurl insults their way tonight.

 

Peeta smiles sweetly at her frown, and while doing what appears to be leaning in for a kiss on her cheek, he grabs a radish and pops it into his mouth instead.

 

“Knock. It. Off.”

 

His eyes are wide while he attempts to keep a straight face, and his lips twitch with the effort to contain his laughter. “I’m sorry but I’m hungry!”

 

Katniss cocks an eyebrow in challenge, backing a few steps away from him. “Well you should’ve grabbed something before you came upstairs. That’s for tonight, you’d better stay out of it.”

 

She wipes her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, beyond ready to give the reins over to her more culinarily-inclined mate and go take a cool shower. It’s hotter than the devil’s testicles in the kitchen- they really need to get that new air conditioning unit installed soon, but neither of them are crazy about the idea of borrowing any more money right now.

 

Katniss and Peeta have been living in the badly-outdated apartment above the bakery since their wedding two years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark decided to retire and sell the business to Peeta shorty after the two of them became engaged, and between making payments to buy out the business from his parents and Katniss only working part-time while she finishes nursing school, money has been tight. To save their funds, they are going to try staying here until they can finish paying off the business loan.

 

“Thanks for taking care of this for me by the way, it looks great.” Peeta leans in and actually gives her a little peck on the lips this time, his apology for stealing her vegetables.

 

“You are _quite_ welcome. But I’ll leave the rest of the stuff to you so I can go get ready. There’s a salad that needs to be finished, and those little finger sandwiches need to be cut in half.” Peeta’s brother Rye and his new wife just bought their first home, and tonight they are hosting a housewarming party. Not only are they inviting friends and family but, as Rye told them in a completely serious tone of voice that had Katniss and Peeta snickering under their breath, “business associates” as well.

 

You’d think the guy was the president of a multi million dollar corporation instead of a small town real estate agent for all the anal-retentive fun that this night is sure to be. For all of the classy atmosphere Rye is trying to project on the gathering, his family is expected to bring food as if it’s a Sunday afternoon potluck instead of just hiring a caterer to feed his guests.

 

But as she has learned over the last few years as a member of the Mellark family, Rye is kind of a cheap bastard.

 

Katniss sighs as she strips off her sweaty clothes once she’s in the bathroom with the shower running. She adjusts the temperature to a perfect lukewarm and steps in, becoming lost in her thoughts as the first spray of water hits her body.

 

This evening has the potential to become a nightmare- she absolutely hates these social gatherings. Katniss still shudders at the memory of their wedding reception, when Peeta’s mother ruined their evening by drinking an entire bottle of champagne and making an impromptu toast to “my son and that whore he married today.”

 

She still hasn’t forgiven Peeta for his lapse in judgment over that security footage he didn’t erase…

 

Not that her own mother is much better- Lilly still drops disparaging remarks from time to time about Peeta that have more to do with prejudice against him than any basis in fact. Her thinly-veiled insults are usually in regards to their current living situation or her personal favorite, Lilly’s stand-by dig about Peeta choosing not to attend college.

 

Unfortunately, she knows that her mother and stepfather were going to be at Rye’s home tonight as well. Lilly had given Katniss the shock of her life a few months after her own wedding by becoming engaged to a pompous ass named Seneca Crane. He was everything her mother was looking for- a member of city council, co-owner of a large accounting firm, and one of the elites of Panem society.

 

Katniss’s first impression was that the man seemed essentially untrustworthy, and that hasn’t changed since day one. Physically his most distinguishing features are his bottle-black hair and beard- the latter he chooses to groom in strange patterns.

 

But to her mother, he’s perfect. Lilly enjoys telling anyone who will listen how lucky she is to have “fallen head over heels for Seneca,” and how happy she is to have her “second chance at true love.””

 

In Katniss’s opinion, her mother is more in love with the idea of what Seneca Crane’s bank account can do for her than the man himself. Almost overnight Lilly went from the woman Katniss grew up with- a washed-out, faded relic of a blond beauty, to the new Mrs Seneca Crane. The present day version of her mother has a trendy wardrobe to go with her bright blond hair, manicured nails and face-lift she got just in time for Seneca’s fancy Christmas party last year.

 

Katniss snorts in the empty bathroom, thinking about her mother as she picks up the bottle of shampoo and squirts a dollop out into her palm before massaging it through her long hair. _Love_ _match_ _my_ _ass_.

 

In the middle of her musing she hears the bathroom door open, pulling her out of her thoughts.

 

“Hey, I’m all done in the kitchen. Got any room in there?” Peeta peeks his head around the shower curtain, his gaze slowly roaming up her naked form until he meets her eyes.

 

“How are you done already?” Katniss moves her head under the stream of water to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. She plays along a little, raising her hands to massage her scalp, knowing the way her back is arched makes her breasts look great.

 

He’s not the only one who knows how to tease.

 

Peeta’s eyes go right to where she knew they would, and Katniss can’t help but let out a breathy laugh when she catches the heated look on his face. The curtain shuts and she hears the rustling sound of her husband pulling his shirt over his head before a clank on the tile floor follows, letting her know that his pants have joined the pile of clothes.

 

Seconds later he reappears. After pulling the curtain shut behind him Peeta clasps her face between his hands and leans in to kiss her, his mouth hot and insistent.

 

That was fast. Not that she isn’t interested…

 

“Peeta…” she pulls back to catch her breath as the water flows over and between their bodies, thousands of tiny water droplets heightening the feel of his hard body pressed against her softer form.

 

“Hmm?” Peeta’s hands slide down the curve of her ass, his lips nipping at her hers. _The last_ _thing_ _I’m_ _interested_ _in_ _doing_ _with_ _you_ _right now is_ _talking_ , he tells her without a word leaving his lips.

 

“Did you…” her words are halted again as Peeta tugs her closer and grazes his lips across her jaw, his hard cock pressing into her hip while his fingertips gently caress her spine. She pushes back, still fighting him simply for the principle of the matter at this point. “Did you actually get the rest of the food done?”

“Does it matter right now?” Peeta replies into the side of her neck, the words soft against her skin. His warm hands move to caress her breasts, smooth and slippery from the water that runs between them, his thumbs rubbing tiny circles over her nipples as he leaves open mouth kisses on her neck.

 

Katniss can feel the corners of his lips turn up when she shudders at his ministrations.

 

Her knees are almost ready to buckle as he teases her. “Do you want me to stop now Katniss?”

 

He pinches her pink tips, and it’s her undoing.

 

_Fuck it._

 

Katniss doesn’t answer with words, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck and latching onto his mouth. _No- I don’t want you to go anywhere_.

 

Peeta slowly backs her up against the shower wall, his mouth never leaving hers. This moment is warm and intimate, as if he can’t wait to touch every inch of her wet body.

 

She feels the same. Katniss moves her hands down his chest, running her palms over his firm torso before veering apart to glide down his hips, her thumbs stroking across his hip bones. He shivers at the sensation.

 

She likes this little game they play- the one where they see how each can affect the other.

 

_What will you do if I squeeze you here?_

 

_Will you tremble if my fingers brush there?_

 

_Where do you want my lips to touch your body?_

 

Peeta’s hands skim down her sides and across her own hips, reaching around to cup her ass. Katniss gasps audibly as he leans into her, his fingertips stroking down her cleft to stroke her lower lips from behind. She can feel arousal leaking from her, lubricating his fingers as they dip into her entrance.

 

He paints love songs with his tongue on hers before his mouth pulls away to move butterfly soft across her neck and towards her ear. Katniss closes her eyes, her head lolling back against the shower wall, lost to the sensation.

 

Peeta whispers in her ear, “hold on to me.” She grasps his biceps as he spans her thighs with his hands, lifting her off the ground and setting her down on the wide grab bar. He kneels in front of her and kisses the soft skin of her inner thigh.

 

Katniss threads her fingers through his blond waves while Peeta’s lips trail up to her core. She watches him, breathless, as he nuzzles his nose against her and while pressing little open mouth kisses across her mound, leaving her squirming with anticipation.

 

Peeta laughs a little as he pulls back and her hips try to follow his mouth. “How about now, should I go make some pasta salad?” he teases.

 

“Peeta, _shut up.”_ Katniss groans, closing her eyes in exasperation, but they shoot back open a moment later when he spreads her folds apart with his fingers and flicks the tip of his tongue against her clit.

 

There’s no more talking after that, until he brings her to a mind-bending orgasm with his lips and tongue and fingers. Tendrils of pleasure shoot through every limb, and Katniss pulls the roots of his hair hard while shamelessly grinding against his mouth, her voice reverberating off the shower walls. Afterwards while her body is still wracked with tremors, Peeta keeps her steady while her feet slide to the shower floor. Her legs are weak and her head dizzy to the point where she can barely stand upright

 

He kisses her, his tongue dipping far inside her mouth at the same time he pulls her close. His hands grasp her ass once more and he lifts her mid-kiss so that Katniss can coil her legs around his waist. He presses her against the shower wall, and when her skin comes in contact with the cool tile, she has a thought.

 

“Peeta,” she pants between his kisses, “maybe we ought to get out and move to the bedroom, we’re going to run out of hot water soon.”

 

The tiny hot water heater is another thing they really need to replace.

 

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just work quick.”

 

Katniss snorts. “That’s what every woman wants to hear.”

 

Peeta chuckles darkly, his voice low and gravelly. “Have I let you down before? Wait- don’t answer that yet. Have I let you down in awhile?”

 

She’s still giggling when he takes one of her feet and props it up on the shower stall seat. He picks her back up, and once he’s angled himself at her entrance he thrusts deep inside of her.

 

“Oh fuck…” Peeta swears, his eyes rolling back before regaining control of himself. “Wrap both legs around me- it might be quick but I’ll make you come again.”

 

His tone in cocky, but when his pelvic bone grinds against her clit and frissures of pleasure shoot though her, Katniss knows he’s right.

 

* * *

  


“So who do we know that is coming to this hell-gathering?” Katniss asks from the passenger seat of their car.

 

They’d managed to throw the rest of the food together in record time after their dalliance in the shower. The temperature had just shifted from lukewarm to downright chilly when Peeta finally shut the tap off, but he’d been true to his word so she wasn’t complaining. Her hair was still slightly damp, and Katniss had quickly thrown on a sundress that she could only vaguely assume was nice enough for Rye’s party. They’d run out the door with just enough time to help set up the food before the guests were supposed to arrive.

 

Peeta slows to a stop at the red light and glances over at her. “Well, Finn and Annie stopped by the bakery today so I know they’re coming.”

 

The couple had just married a few months ago in a small, lakeside ceremony with their closest family and friends. It’d been a beautiful day, but the thing Katniss rememberers the most was the shock she felt when Finnick and Annie announced that they were going to have a baby.

 

_“A baby. Don’t you think that’s awfully soon?” Katniss turned in her seat to ask Peeta on the drive home from the reception._

 

_He shrugged. “I’m not sure what you mean, it’s not like any of us are teenagers any more.”_

 

 _Katniss_ _looked out_ _the window at the lights of town, watching the way they all blurred together as they drove by. “I just mean that Finn’s only twenty four, and Annie’s our age. You don’t think that’s too young to start a family?”_

 

_“Well, my mom was nineteen when she had my brother.”_

 

_Katniss had to roll her eyes at that. “Yeah, and my mom was eighteen when she had me. I don’t think those are real stellar arguments.” She knew that Peeta wanted to have children, and she wasn’t opposed to the idea, so she always assumed that it would happen for them one day._

 

_But while ‘one day’ didn’t sound too bad, this just seemed so… soon. Katniss didn’t feel like she classified as a real adult herself some days._

 

_And she was nowhere near ready to have a baby of her own._

 

_“I’m happy for them, because they’re happy. I just think you need to have a little faith sometimes that things are going to work out. I’m not saying that it won’t be hard for them,” why did Katniss suddenly feel like he wasn’t just talking about Finn and Annie? “but it’s what they both want. They’re committed to each other, obviously in love. Why can’t it work out? Hope is everything.”_

 

“I know my mom is coming with _dear Seneca.”_ Katniss pipes in, pulling herself from her brooding, overlapping thoughts on parenthood.

 

“Rye told me that Gale is coming with Madge.” Their former roommate was still dating their former nemesis. Not that they saw much of either of them nowadays, since just about everyone they knew was busy with work or college themselves. Gale had recently taken over a large chunk of the responsibility of running his father’s enormous farming operation, a fact that Katniss only happened to know from conversations with her friend.

 

Madge opened her beauty salon last year, and had already built a large clientele with several other beauticians working for her. Her friend named the business _Strawberry’s-_ after the signature pinkish blonde shade she’d chosen for her own hair over nature’s mouse-brown.

 

“Well, we’re here.” Peeta pulls the car in to Rye’s driveway, interrupting her thoughts. “Ready?”

 

“No,” Katniss unbuckles her seat belt, “but let’s go anyway.”

 

* * *

 

  
Katniss picks up a plate from the beginning of the buffet line, contemplating what would be easiest to eat while hiding in a corner of Rye’s backyard. She makes her selections then heads out the back door looking for her husband. Peeta had been waylaid by a friend from high school so he told her to go ahead without him.

 

Scanning the backyard, she sees that Finnick and Annie have finally shown up and that Peeta is huddled in a quiet corner of the yard with them, far away from the people she would like to avoid the most. But much like running a post-apocalyptic gauntlet, there are dangerous interactions she needs to avoid if she wants to arrive at the promised land- a place to hide in obscurity for the rest of the evening and eat finger food.

 

A few feet to her left is Rye’s wife Gloria, deep in conversation with Peeta’s mom, who has mostly ignored her this evening to Katniss’s everlasting relief.

 

Gloria, whom Katniss and Peeta have secretly given the nickname of Glimmer ( she’s easily distracted by shiny things), is the favorite daughter in law of the family by far. She comes from a political family in the Capitol, and has enough status and money to satisfy any spouse’s family. It’s kind of amazing that Rye managed to snag her at all.

 

Katniss has just made it past the first hurdle when she hears a voice that makes her shoulders slump. “Oh, there you are!”

 

There’s no getting out of it, so Katniss plasters on a smile and turns around to face the inevitable. “Hi Mom.”

 

Lilly pulls her daughter into an embrace while Katniss holds her plate as far away from their bodies as she can, praying that no one gets close enough to knock it from her hands. If she loses her food there are only two choices- starve or run the gauntlet all over again. At the moment she’s leaning towards not eating tonight, despite the fact that she’s starving.

 

“How are you sweetheart?” Lilly lays one perfectly manicured hand to rest on Katniss’s arm, and while her mother’s touch is light, her chest still constricts as though she were in a set of handcuffs. “Things are good, Mom- I’ve been busy with school and helping out a day or two a week at the bakery.”

 

Lilly smooths her free hand down the loose braid her daughter is wearing, and the tender moment reminds Katniss of her mother in better days. In her earliest memories of she always had two braids hanging down her back, with ribbons on the ends for special occasions. “Well, maybe Peeta ought to think about hiring more employees for his business.”

 

Katniss rolls her eyes, “Mom-“

 

“I’m just saying if he did hire another employee or two, then he wouldn’t need to count on you to help run the place, that’s all. You don’t need to get upset…”

 

_If you didn’t want me to get upset than you should’ve just let me walk by._

 

“Actually Mom, if you remember, _Mellark’s_ is _our_ business. I wasn’t looking for a sugar daddy when I married him.”

 

“Well it’s a good thing then, because no matter what you thought you were signing up for, a sugar daddy is definitely not what you got with Peeta.”

 

Katniss grabs a little sandwich and stuffs it in her mouth to keep from screaming, because Rye’s backyard party doesn’t seem like the right venue for a knock down drag out with her mother.

 

Lilly looks over her shoulder to where Katniss knows guests are milling around by the back door. “Oh look, there’s your friend Madge with Gale Hawthorne.” She releases the death grip on her daughter’s arm to fluff her blonde waves. “Now that man is a _catch_.”

 

Katniss chokes on her food for a moment, forcing the bite down her dry throat before answering.

 

Her mother simpering over Gale _fucking_ Hawthorne is simply too much to let slide. “I don’t know if catch is the right word. I think that most of the girls in town already caught Gale while we were in high school, if you know what I mean.”

 

Lilly laughs condescendingly. “That’s just how men are- they need to get that out of their systems before they’re ready to settle down.”

 

“Really? Because Peeta wasn’t getting things out of his system with seventy-five percent of our graduating class…” Katniss mutters, looking down at her plate for anything else to stick in her mouth that will get her to stop talking. Honestly, she doesn’t care about the number of girls Gale has or hasn’t slept with- talking to her mother just seems to bring out a new layer of bitchy Katniss every time.

 

Choosing to ignore her daughter’s last remark, Lilly pats her on the arm. “I’d better let you get back to your husband and friends- they keep glancing over here. And I see that one of Seneca’s coworkers is here now and I really need to talk to him.” And with a quick stride away in her beige heels, Katniss is released from her mother’s passive-aggression for the time being.

 

 _Well, at least that’s_ _over_ _,_ Katniss finds that she is mentally exhausted as she makes her way over to Peeta and their friends.

 

Annie smiles at her, but Finnick is the one to speak. “Hey Kat.”

 

During high school she would have rolled her eyes at the nickname, but now she just laughs. Finnick is an idiot, but Katniss still occasionally misses the days when they were housemates, despite the fact that privacy had been seriously lacking much of the time.

 

Not that Finnick had any concerns about privacy- she saw his naked ass during the two years they were roommates more times than she’d like to admit. The guy was way too comfortable with nudity for her liking. How hard was it to put on a pair of pants? Keep a towel around your waist when you left the bathroom?

 

Katniss finally (which also got her teased mercilessly) left a basket of boxer-briefs in their shared bathroom labeled: “Finnick Odair’s Underwear. Wear Them.”

 

Annie steps close to Finnick and speaks to him in a low tone, while Peeta seizes the opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. “I saw all of that exchange with your mom by the way. Was it bad?”

 

Katniss debates downplaying the conversation with her mother, but decides against it in the end because she doesn’t like keeping things from Peeta.  “Kind of, but I’m used to it.”

 

“I’m sorry hon.” His face is morose for a minute so she nudges him.

 

They aren’t going down this road tonight if she can help it- the one where Peeta feels guilty about things he has nothing to do with. “Don’t do that to yourself-it’s total crap. You know my mother is an idiot.”

 

He sighs. “I just hate how I seem to come between you two, that’s all.”

 

This is the worst part about the whole screwed-up situation with her mother, the fact that Peeta actually gives consideration to what her mother has to say. He’s a sensitive guy- it’s a quality she admires in him because she’s not very attuned to others herself, but in times like these she wishes he were a little less so.

 

Peeta doesn’t see himself for what he is, and Katniss gives the credit to his mother for much of that.

 

Speaking of the witch…“What about your mom- she hates me.”

 

Peeta rubs the back of his neck, laughing ruefully. “And like I always say, she hates everyone so that doesn’t count. That and the fact that you don’t really care whether anyone likes you or not -you just seem like you’re above it all most of the time.”

 

Does he really think she feels that way? “I never said that.”

“It’s implied, but don’t worry about it. Confidence looks good on you.” He lifts his hand from her hip and waves. “Hey, there’s Madge and Gale.”

 

Katniss shakes her head. At least their arrival is a change of subject.

 

* * *

 

“I didn’t tell you my news- Gale and I are moving in together.” Madge says as the guys head inside the house for something to eat. The two are alone, Annie having wandered off to talk to her great-aunt Mags.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, but not right now- it probably won’t be until sometime over the winter.”

 

“So things are pretty serious between you guys then- that’s a big step.” _And one I never thought I’d see Gale commit to with anybody. Maybe he’s actually growing up a little._

 

Madge laughs, “I guess they are. I knew Gale had plans to start building his own house after harvesting season was done, but then last week he came into my apartment and tossed a pamphlet in my lap- it had a bunch of different floor models- and asked me which one I thought I’d like to live in.”

 

Katniss snorted. “How romantic.”

 

Madge rolls her eyes. “Wow, that’s ironic coming from you. What did you say your classic line is- “Hey Peeta want to do it?””

 

She’s got her there. “True, but it always gets the job done. But seriously Madge, if this is what you want then I’m really happy for you.”

 

“I am happy! I know there is this weird thing with you guys and Gale-”

 

“Madge, no there isn’t- I promise. That’s ancient history. Look at those idiots and tell me there’s any awkwardness there.” Katniss points toward the back door where Gale, Peeta, and Finnick all stand. The three of them are laughing at something, she can’t tell what’s so funny from here, but there is obviously no sign of tension among them. 

 

It's a welcome change.

 

Madge studies the guys for a moment before turning to her friend. “You know Katniss, I think you’re right.”

 

“I think this calls for a toast,” Katniss tilts her cup and clinks it against Madge’s water bottle. “To new beginnings, and boys growing up.”

 

Madge laughs. “I’ll drink to that.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Peeta drops his keys on the kitchen counter. He looks exhausted- they stayed at Rye’s house much longer than they'd originally intended. 

 

The party actually turned out to be pretty fun once the older folks went home. Glimmer turned the music up around 9 and convinced people to start dancing once she broke out _YMCA_ and the BeeGees.

 

Katniss honestly can’t remember the last time she laughed so much, and Finnick even took them on a “victory lap” through town in _Justine._ “Just for old times sake,” he claimed.

 

“Hey babe, I’m going to bed.” Peeta yawns again and kicks his shoes off. “Are you staying up?”

 

“Yeah, I probably will a little bit longer, but I’ll be in pretty soon.”

 

“Okay, well good night then. I’ll do this now,” Peeta tilts her chin up and gives her a warm kiss “just in case I’m out when you get there.”

 

“You probably will be.” Katniss teases, patting him on the butt. She knows he's tired from today, and in addition Peeta has to open the bakery tomorrow on his regular day off. 

 

So, she wishes him goodnight and plops down on the sofa, ready for a little alone time to unwind after the evenings events.

 

Peeta's only been in bed for half an hour or so when their phone rings. Katniss sets her book down and quickly picks up the receiver, not wanting the sound to wake him. “Hello?” She answers, after a quick glance at the clock tells her it’s 12:30. Who on earth is calling them now?

 

“Katniss?” The voice on the end of the line surprises her.

 

“Mom, are you alright?” She straightens up, disbelief lacing her tone.

 

“No, I ah… I’m not.” Lilly’s voice is shaky. “Can you come get me?”

 

“Where are you? Of course I’ll come get you. Are you at home?”

 

Her mother lets out a deep breath. “No, I’m actually at the police station- Seneca has been arrested. Katniss, it’s bad. It’s really bad.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter to go, it shouldn't be a long wait- this is the next thing I want to finish up.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up 16 years into the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split the last chapter in half because there seemed to be a lot of information for just a single chapter. 
> 
> The story picks up after a sixteen year time jump, and of course there are a lot of flashbacks 'cause that's a thing I seem to do a lot. :)
> 
> Thank you 567 for beta-ing this for me!
> 
> Hope you enjoy chapter four and a half.

38

 

“Nice game, honey!” Katniss slings an arm around her daughter’s waist as the two walk back to the car in the cool October sunshine.

 

Hannah carries her soccer cleats over her shoulder while her flip flop shod feet scuffle across the soccer field. “I did okay, I guess,” she shrugs, her natural reluctance at being the center of attention coming out even when the audience is only her mother. Their nine-year-old daughter is shy with a calm disposition like Peeta, but more closely resembles her mom. She’s tiny, with delicate features and jet black hair. 

 

Those pretty blue eyes Katniss catches a glimpse of are all Peeta though. “Was Dad busy? He doesn’t usually miss my games.” They reach the car, and Hannah slides her cleats down off her shoulder and catches them one-handed.

 

“He had to pick Grandpa up from the airport,” Katniss opens the rear door for her daughter, “and then he’s going to get your brother from Uncle Rye’s house.”

 

Rye and Glimmer’s son Brandt is the same age as five-year-old Jack, and the boys are practically inseparable. She’s glad they have each other to play with, but Katniss can’t say she’s always particularly thrilled with the trouble they seem to find their way into together.

 

Hannah snorts. “Do you think it’s a good idea for Jack and Brandt to be allowed out in public like that?”

 

Katniss sighs. “Honey, they aren’t that bad…”

 

“Mom, yes they are!”

 

Hannah’s actually right- the boys are pretty terrible. The last time the family all attempted to go out to dinner they were approached by the manager halfway through their meal and were asked to leave the restaurant.

 

Jack and Brandt had decided to amuse themselves by tossing their vegetables over and across the seat dividers while the adults were talking. “Okay- yes they are a nightmare, but we can’t just leave them at home.” Katniss laughs as she shuts the car door behind her daughter.

 

“Why not?” Hannah’s voice is muffled through the glass, her hands raised in argument. “They are embarrassing, Mom.”

 

“They have to learn how to behave some time, we can’t just lock the pair of them up like QuasiModo their whole lives. No matter how much we might want to,” Katniss climbs in behind the steering wheel, “we can’t. Sorry hon.”

 

“Mom…” Hannah rolls her eyes. 

 

* * *

 

26

 

On the ten year anniversary of the night they kissed for the first time on a street corner in downtown Panem, Katniss walked into their bedroom and shrugged off her robe, allowing the soft cotton to slide down her shoulders and puddle around her feet 

 

“What are you…” Peeta trailed off, taking off his reading glasses and sitting up straighter on the bed. 

 

“I stopped taking my birth control,” Katniss admitted quietly. She clenched her hands at her sides, and the silence hung between them as a long moment passed before she spoke again. “I’m ready if you still are.” 

 

It wasn’t really a question, of course he was ready. Unlike Katniss who always doubted her ability to raise children without becoming a screw-up like her own mother, Peeta had been looking forward to having kids of his own for a long time, even while they were still in high school. 

 

He never put any pressure on her, and they didn’t really talk about it often, which enabled Katniss to push the thought to the back of her mind. 

 

There were reminders that occasionally popped up here and there. 

 

Like when little Finn was born three years ago. 

 

Peeta went a little bonkers. She still doesn’t know whether or not the little guy ever got a chance to wear all of the outfits her husband bought for him or not. He’d get this far-off look on his face anytime the topic of babies were brought up. He’d say little things like, “I can’t wait until that’s us.” Or “I can’t wait till it’s our turn.”

 

Peeta swung his legs off the bed and stood, while Katniss felt her body tense as he approached her. She let out the breath she was holding and waited for him to kiss her, to make this easier for her. 

 

She’d never been shy when it came to sex with him but this felt entirely different. 

 

Katniss was offering something that she’d kept a tight grip on for the most part. Her whole self, not just her body for his pleasure or her heart that was his anyway, even before that night Peeta kissed her underneath a street lamp to the cacauffany of cheers, whistles, and car horns.

 

No, what she was offering to him were her deepest fears, the things she never spoke of. The belief that she was too screwed up to be a good mother to his child, or the small voice in her head that told her she wasn’t really cut out for a life of parenting and family. The niggling thought that Peeta deserved someone better than her, someone who wasn’t afraid, who was sure they were ready (because Katniss knew that she’d never really be _sure._ ) 

 

Each vulnerability layered one on top of the other resulting in the mess that was her.

 

Instead of reaching for her, Peeta bent over and picked her robe up off of the floor. 

 

Katniss bit her lip to control it’s quiver as he silently held the garment open for her to slip back in to. She wouldn’t look him in the eye as she slid her arms back in or when he pulled the sides closed and tied the belt, his hand lingering over the soft knot at her waist. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes unbidden and Katniss swiped at them with the back of her hand but still Peeta didn’t say anything, simply took her hand and led her to the bed. 

 

She sat down on the edge and wrapped her arms around her middle in an attempt to shrink in on herself. 

 

Didn’t he understand, or had he changed his mind about this entirely?

 

Peeta sat down next to her, so close they were hip to hip. He looked straight ahead and let the silence stretch out ahead of them before finally clearing his throat. “Where is all of this coming from?” he asked her quietly.

 

Katniss shrugged and stared ahead, too raw to look at him. “I thought you wanted this.” She began to stand up, shame at his rejection propelling her off the bed. “But just forget about it. Obviously I was wrong.” The last thing she wanted to do was sit and listen to Peeta explain why he didn’t want to have a child with her. 

 

The pressure in her chest grew while her heart shrunk in on itself. Didn’t he understand how difficult it had been for her to come to terms with this decision? Didn’t he understand how scared she was? 

 

Peeta gripped her arm, preventing her from walking away. “Katniss, wait _please._ ” 

 

She looked back at him. 

 

“You have to know I want that… I want it so badly, but I just think that maybe we ought to talk about this before making a decision.” He choked on his own laughter. “You’re so damn gorgeous right now, I can barely think when you’re naked and telling me to make a baby with you. Are you kidding me?” His face was open, honest. “So will you please do me a favor and sit back down so we can talk?”

 

“That was the point of showing up naked, I didn’t think we’d have to talk that way.” She admitted as she sat back down beside him.

 

“Katniss...” Peeta laughed as he took her hand and laced their fingers together. “I know you don’t like to talk about this stuff, but a baby is a big deal. Don’t you think it’s something that I need to know you’re ready for before we just jump into it?”

 

“I’m ready... as ready as I’m going to get at least.” Katniss glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. 

 

Bad idea. 

 

Peeta wore an amused expression, the corner of his mouth upturned. “I don’t believe you. Sorry babe, try again.”  


Katniss huffed and darted her eyes straight ahead. 

 

He was so damn irritating. 

 

Why did he have to overthink everything all the time? And for that matter, why did they have to _talk_ about everything? She’d always been a girl of actions, not words. Action was easy, you decided to do the thing and you just did it. Simple as that.

 

But talking? Talking involved planning what to say, and trying to figure out what he was going to say, and worrying about what he was going to say… It was much easier to avoid it all together. 

 

“Katniss…” Peeta leaned over and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him despite the stiff reception he received. “Don’t get _mad.”_

 

_Don’t get mad._

 

Sometimes she really couldn’t stand him, the smug bastard. Her pulse was racing, and she turned her head to scowl at him, granting him a good long look at just how _mad_ she was.

 

Funny thing was, Peeta didn’t seem fazed by her irritation. Quite the opposite, because his face had taken on a decidedly heated look as he stared at her downturned mouth.

 

Katniss was shocked to find that same desire coursing through her veins, the strange elusive mix of pent up frustration and lust that’d been lacking a few minutes ago when she disrobed for him. 

 

Her nervousness had left her too anxious, too uptight, too inside of her own head to allow herself to really _want_ him then. And Peeta must’ve picked up on it, he always seemed to read her like a book. 

 

Which was one more thing that pissed her off when they were arguing.

 

But now her thighs were clenched together, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body through the material of his cotton boxers and her worn robe, just two thin layers away from sitting skin to skin. 

 

She still felt angry at him for laughing at her, but watching Peeta’s rapid breathing, the shallow rise and fall of his chest… she couldn’t deny how much she wanted him. 

 

And then her eyes dropped to his lap where she could see the evidence of his desire for her. 

 

She swallowed hard.

 

Peeta’s gaze lingered on her mouth, staring at the way the corners turned downward. His own lips went the opposite direction and a sexy, lazy smile formed before his eyes dropped lower still to the place where her robe gaped open slightly at her breasts. 

 

“I didn’t mean to laugh, I swear. I know you hate that.” His hand curled around her knee, the sound of his breathing becoming audible in the quiet room.

 

“I thought you wanted to talk,” she challenged, but her breath caught when she felt his palm slide higher, his fingers now completely covering her bare thigh. She felt every pressure point, and when he squeezed her flesh the twinge of pleasure carried to every nerve ending of her body.

 

Peeta leaned in to kiss her. She pulled back but he simply chased her, refusing to cease his pursuit. He spoke lowly against her mouth, the feel of his breath on her lips sending a shiver through her body. “We can talk later.” His other hand moved around her back and curled her body toward him as he leaned in. “And you should know better than to fucking scowl at me like that- it just gets me hot all over.”

 

“You are ridiculous,” Kantiss mumbled before he brushed a kiss across her lips.

 

“You like it though.” He countered, opening his mouth over hers, his tongue leisurely brushing inside as he pulled her tighter.

 

Katniss whimpered, sinking into the sensation of him surrounding and encasing her body as he leaned over her and into her, pressing her into the bed. His hand moved to the tie at her waist, and as the material slipped away from her body the motion triggered some bit of reason. “Wait, wait.”

 

Peeta pulled back a little, giving her room to prop herself up on her elbows. “What’s wrong?”

 

“My birth control. Ready or not, I could get pregnant. My doctor said it could happen the first time.”

 

“That’s alright,” his face cleared and he rolled off the bed to rummage through the nightstand drawer. “We still have some condoms left from that time you were on antibiotics. I know they’re in here somewhere...”  


“Or we could just go without.” Katniss stared at his back, cringing a little as the words left her mouth. 

 

Why did she just say that?

 

“Here they are,” Peeta slipped off his boxers and t-shirt quickly before laying down beside her this time, the foil strip in hand. He tossed it beside the pillow and studied her face, his hand reaching out to brush a thumb across her cheekbone. Some of the urgency had left the moment, despite the fact that they were skin to skin now, and the reminder that they still had things to discuss hung heavy between them as they lay looking into each other’s eyes.

 

“I know I begged off talking right now, but maybe I was wrong to do that. If we talk now or talk later it doesn’t change anything.” Peeta admitted, dropping his hand to rest at her hip.

 

“Peeta...”

 

“I’m serious. I don’t want to try for a baby until we’re both ready. I need you to be _sure_. Can you understand that?”

 

“But what if I’m never sure?” She asked him softly, raising her hand to stroke his jaw before letting her arm drop to her side. “I don’t want to disappoint you. I can take disappointing most everyone else- it’s practically a given by now. But you? I can’t do it.”

 

“Katniss-”

 

She interrupted him before he could get any farther. “What if we never have kids and you wake up one day in twenty years hating me for it?”

 

“Is that what this is about? I could never hate you.”

 

“I just can’t let you go, you’re everything to me.” She admitted. “You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to count on in my life.”

 

Peeta stared across the pillow at her. The open, frank look was so disarming it made her blurt out everything she’d rather keep inside. 

 

He always did this to her. “And you’re right, maybe hate is a strong word. It’s just that I want you to have everything you want, and what if I don’t give you those things? You might not hate me but I would hate me.” The tears started slipping, trailing down her cheeks and she bit her lip, trying to keep them all in.

 

Damn him- this was why she didn’t talk about things. She hated spiraling out of control like this.

 

Peeta shook his head, pulling her close and holding her tightly while she cried. His energy, his comforting smell, his heat surrounding her and the weight of his body against hers helped Katniss to stop thinking. She just let herself feel his chest rising up and down with his deep breaths, his strong arms wrapped around her back, his warm skin pressed against hers head to toe. 

 

She closed her eyes and just _felt_ him there. Always there.

 

“Listen to me- there isn’t a thing you could do to make me feel that way about you,” Peeta released his hold on her once the tears stopped. His hands went to her robe and spread it open, pushing the material aside until his hand was resting on the smooth skin of her hip. 

 

“But what if-”

 

“Can I tell you what I think?” Peeta asked as he rolled her over on her back. When she was prone he kissed her lightly, letting his torso brush against her before sliding down her body and settling between her legs.

 

“I guess so.” She ran her hand through his blond waves. His chin rested on her sternum, and he looked up at her, his fingertips grazing a light circle on her belly. The soft touch caused her body to tingle. 

 

“I just have this feeling that one day you’re going to realize you’re ready for our baby. It might be next year, it might be ten years. But I’m willing to bet on you, because I know you and I love you more than anything. Can you please trust me?”

 

Katniss laughed a little, “I don’t know why you would, I don’t even trust myself that much.”

 

He stared at her, a slightly pleading look on his face.

 

“But I’ll try.” She whispered.

 

“So we’re good?” Peeta planted a kiss on the top of her breast.

 

“We’re good.”

 

“So I can go ahead and take you up on that offer of your naked body, even if I’m not willing to impregnate you?”

 

Katniss snorted. “Yes. But please stop talking and do something else with your mouth.”

 

He did. He moved slowly, peppering her with kisses. His lips grazed everywhere, wet and hot and open, his tongue dipping into her navel, kissing a path across her inner thighs. He lifted each leg and kissed the soft skin behind her knees before continuing down to her feet, kissing arches and toes before crawling back up her body. 

 

She was wet and achy by the time he reached for one of the condoms on the bed beside them. Katniss couldn’t keep her hands off him for another minute, taking the opportunity while he was occupied with the foil packet. Her hands traveled across his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and firm chest. 

 

When he got the condom open, she took it from him and rolled it over his cock, giving his base a squeeze that made him moan and thrust into her hand. She looked into his eyes as she spread her legs wide around his hips and lifted her pelvis in invitation, her body aching to be filled with him now. “Come on, show me how much you love me, Peeta.” 

 

He pressed his chest to hers, shoulder to shoulder, as close to her as possible as he slid inside, moving so unhurriedly that she felt the head of his cock graze against every inch of her walls on his journey inward. She closed her eyes, rolling her head to the side as he thrust into her slowly, deliberately. Katniss felt herself relax and allowed him to control the pace, letting him love her. 

 

“Feels so good,” Katniss mumbled, her body tingling again and again with each movement of his cock inside of her, full of him and surrounded by his comfort and heat.

 

“No rush,” he said, his lips hovering over hers, breathing shallowly into her mouth. “We’ve got all night. We’ve got all the time in the world.” She squeezed his hips tightly between her thighs, felt his muscles clenching as he drove into her. The feel of him, his chest brushing hers, his hard shoulders against hers, the way the hair on his abdomen tickled her body as he moved across her was overwhelming. 

 

“Hmmm,” she moaned on an exhaled breath. Katniss could feel her walls flutter, the pressure building as he drew her closer and closer to the point of no return. She tightened her thighs around his hips and thrust against him, the urgency growing as she dug her heels into his ass seeking more friction.

 

Instead of giving in to her, Peeta slowed down and rose up to his knees. She mourned the loss until he grasped one of her smooth ankles in his hand and lifted it over his shoulder before doing the same with the other, finally leaning over her and entering her again with deep, harder thrusts.

 

This position drove her crazy, the arched angle of her hips was letting her feel every hard inch of him. Katniss let out a sharp cry when the ridge of his cock brushed her g-spot. He moaned and twisted his pubic bone against her pelvis, stimulating her clit while fully encased by her walls. 

 

It was too much. She came hard, locking her legs around his hips and lifting her body up on her elbows, her back straight as she ground and twisted herself against him until his cock was buried as far inside of her as she could get it, crying out as her release came, her mind exploding with pleasure. Peeta gasped as she locked and pulled him deep inside of her, his teeth gritting as he fought off his own orgasm. 

 

Her walls still pulsed, and he thrust a few more times letting her massage him before he pulled out. Peeta grabbed her widespread thighs and lay back, tugging her down with him, their bodies now facing the footboard of the bed. “Get on top of me now,” he begged, his face flushed and eyes pleading as she hovered over his cock.

 

She straddled his hips, the wetness from her previous orgasm coating them both as Katniss took his cock in hand and placed the tip at her entrance. She sunk down on him, the stimulation against her still sensitive walls causing her to cry out as she descended, seeking relief that another climax promised. Her knees came to rest on either side of his thighs once their hips were flush, and she gave herself a moment to enjoy the feel of him buried so deep inside of her.

 

His hands grasped her hips, his eyes darting back and forth from her breasts to the place where she was now lifting herself up and down on his cock. Peeta grit his teeth, and his hands slid down from her hips to clench her ass, urging her to ride him harder. 

 

“Just like that,” he gasped, his eyes closing as she picked up the pace. 

 

And then he came, his eyes squeezing shut as he thrust up into her, hard, his hips lifting off the bed. The feel of him pulsing inside of her, the pressure of his pelvic bone rubbing against her clit brought her even closer to climaxing again, so she ground down hard against him as Peeta cried out from his release.

 

He slowed his thrusts but she continued the motion of her hips, switching to bouncing up and down before grinding herself against him. “Are you close?” he asked, looking up at her with a lazy grin as his high receded.

 

“Yeah….”  


His hands were still wrapped around the backs of her thighs, and he stroked the sensitive skin between the curve of her ass cheeks and her entrance as she moved on top of him. 

 

“You’re so gorgeous, I could watch you use my body all day.”

 

She let out a squeak, arching her back farther.

 

One of his hands left her backside and moved to rub her arm. “You’re so beautiful when you come Katniss. You’re perfect, you’re beautiful…” His words pushed her over the edge and her orgasm came, her head thrown back as her body sang for him.

 

* * *

  


28

 

And two years later when she found herself watching Madge and Gale fuss over their newborn son at the hospital, a deep longing overtook Katniss, the desire to have that for herself, and she finally knew. 

 

She was ready.

 

* * *

  


29

 

Thirteen months later, Katniss and Peeta were in that same maternity ward with newborn Hannah Hope Mellark, and the new mother only felt a tiny bit of nervousness while staring down at her daughter’s face.

 

Because the hope for a future where they could be a happy, functional family was stronger than her fear.

  


* * *

  


“Hey, there’s my girls!” Peeta ruffles his daughter’s hair as Hannah passes him on the way to the refrigerator. She rolls her eyes at her father, but Katniss catches the little smile on her daughter’s face as she grabs a drink and heads for the living room.

 

Katniss, however, stops and shares a kiss with him. “Where’s Jack?” 

 

“He’s playing in his room- I think he’s cooking up a surprise with Brandt for later.”

 

“Please don’t tell me that,” she groans, grabbing a cheese bun from the counter and ripping off a corner. Peeta does try to bring home some of her favorite rolls from the bakery every day, but she’s surprised he remembered today with all the running he had to do. He’d sent her a text earlier to let her know that his father’s flight was delayed and he had to wait longer than anticipated. 

 

Peeta grins as he sets the mug of tea down that he finished preparing for himself. “No, I think they have a surprise for Dad, actually, so it’ll be his problem.” His father moved to Florida not long after his mother died of a massive stroke five years ago. Peeta’s oldest brother Phillip and his wife Amy lived close by with their three kids, so he’s not without someone to keep an eye on him.

 

“Did you get your dad settled?” Katniss reaches for another cheese bun while he tries to shoo her away.

 

“Yes I did, and you’re going to ruin your appetite. You can have my buns anytime- you shouldn’t pig out on them before we go out to eat.”  


Katniss pinches his ass in retaliation before taking a big bite out of the roll. “Did Mom come down today?”

 

“Just for a minute to let me know that she’s coming tonight.” He picks up his mug to take a drink.

 

She nods her head. “Good, I’m glad. She needs to get out more.”

 

* * *

  
  


22-24

 

Looking back, the period of time following Lilly’s then-husband Seneca Crane’s arrest for money laundering seems like a bad dream, although Katniss can still close her eyes and picture the blank look her mother wore the night she picked her up at the police station.

 

Katniss brought her mom back to their apartment for the night where Lilly sat, staring at a spot on the wall above their television, catatonic in her state of shock. During the following days the news just got worse. Seneca’s assets were frozen, and because she came into the marriage with nothing of her own Lilly was left almost destitute when the extent of her estranged husband’s white collar crimes were discovered. 

 

Katniss quickly found out just how bad things were when she tried to take Lilly home after her night at their apartment, only to find that the locks had been changed on all of the doors and a garbage bag full of her mother’s clothes were left on the front step. Lilly admitted that the house belonged to Seneca’s business partner, Cornelius Snow, who her husband was also being accused of embezzling funds from in addition to the money laundering scheme. 

 

Snow was known for being cold, calculating, and vicious, and didn’t tolerate being made to look like a fool. Even if her mother could’ve gotten back inside the house, Katniss knew she wouldn’t be safe there. So as much as she hated to do it, she picked up the garbage bag, tossed it in the trunk of her car, and brought Lilly home to stay with them. 

 

The first thing Katniss did when they arrived back at the apartment was call around until she found an attorney for her mother, Plutarch Heavensbee, and get an initial meeting set up. 

 

They met at his office the following day and talked about different options they had to choose from before beginning the divorce proceedings.

 

Over the next few weeks Plutarch did some digging and, after going through the financial records that were available, let Katniss and her mother know that while on the surface it seemed  unfortunate Lilly didn't have any assets of her own from the marriage, in reality it was probably for the best. Because she had no ties to any of his possessions or bank accounts, her mother wasn’t being targeted as a piece of the FBI’s investigation into Seneca Crane’s illegal activity.

 

Time moved slowly after that, like it always does in the wake of a disaster, and after just a few short months of the three of them living together in Katniss and Peeta’s small apartment drug by, the situation became too much to handle. 

 

It wasn’t that Lilly was combative. She wasn’t anything, really. All of her time was spent sitting on the couch staring at the wall. The problem was simply that she was always there and making no attempt to change the situation. The lack of privacy was driving them crazy, so she and Peeta decided they would find a small house to rent and let her mother stay in the apartment above the bakery. They could barely afford the extra expense, but what was the alternative?

 

So they packed up what didn’t need to be left for her mother and moved out. A few more weeks passed, and when her mother seemed to have permanently settled into the same stupor that Katniss clearly remembered from her childhood, the two of them knew they couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer.

 

In as gentle a tone as she could muster, Katniss laid things out. “We can’t keep providing for you, Mom. You have to start living. You need to find a job.” 

 

“I’m sorry,” her mother sobbed, wiping tears out of the corner of her eyes. The haughtiness was gone, replaced by a broken version of the woman from her childhood. Katniss didn’t know which version of Lilly worried her more. “I’m sorry for doing this to you, I’m sorry for putting you in this position in the first place.”

 

“You know that Peeta and I will help you anyway that we can.” She rubbed her mother’s back for comfort, but watched her tone, careful to keep it gentle but firm. Lilly had played the sympathy card one too many times with them already. 

 

It was time to get real. “But you need to start paying your own way.”

 

Peeta cleared his throat. They’d tossed around the idea of having her mother help out at the bakery, but neither of them wanted to press their luck with the situation. And in reality, Lilly needed her own cash flow. “I actually talked to the owner of the apothecary shop when she stopped by the bakery this morning. Cecelia said that she was looking for some help. Maybe you should try there?”

 

The apothecary shop turned out to be the perfect fit for Lilly. Katniss almost did a victory dance when her mother called gushing about how much she enjoyed working with Cecelia after the first day, and her daughterly happiness was only eclipsed the following week when her mother brought home her first paycheck.

 

Cecelia became a very good friend to her mother. The two women were close in age, both single and had similar interests, and soon the pair were going to things like gardening group and book club together. Her mother even managed to make a few more friends. 

 

For the first time, Lilly had developed a life of her own, and with it her sense of self-sufficiency and worth multiplied as the months went by until she was virtually unrecognizable from the woman that she’d been in the past. 

 

The day that Katniss realized the full extent of how much things really had changed was a typical Sunday afternoon just a short while after her mother’s divorce was finalized, when Lilly stopped by their house and asked Peeta to go out for coffee with her. 

 

Alone.

 

Her only explanation was, “I have some things that I need to talk over with my son-in-law, if you can spare him.”

 

Katniss nodded her head dumbly, while Peeta followed her mother out the back door, both of them at a loss for words. 

 

He turned and looked back at his wife as he shut the screen door, but Katniss just shrugged her shoulders at his puzzled face.

 

She had no idea what to tell him.

  


* * *

  


“What on earth was that about?” Katniss asked when he got back home a few hours later. She stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes, too curious about what Peeta would have to say after his conversation with her mother to sit still for any length of time.

 

He dug his hands deep in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe. “You won’t believe this.” 

 

“That bad?”

 

“No, not bad, although the whole conversation was pretty damn awkward. Right off the bat your mom apologized for, and I quote, “all the horrible things I’ve said to my daughter about you over the years”.” 

 

Peeta watched her face carefully, a smirk flitting across his mouth as he waited for Katniss’s reaction. She didn’t disappoint, sucking in a deep breath and then choking violently on her own spittle. 

 

“Are you alright?” He asked, hurrying to her side and patting her back as she tried to breathe.

 

Katniss nodded. Attempting to get her coughing fit under control she filled a glass with water and took a drink,  gesturing for him to keep talking.

 

“There’s more where that came from- your mom then proceed to tell me that she was probably too hard on us while we were dating in high school…”

 

“That’s an understatement.” Katniss said after clearing her throat and setting the glass down on the countertop, finally able to speak again.

 

Peeta pulled out a stool from under their counter top and sat down. “And then she thanked me for being a good-son-in law to her and a good husband to you.”

 

Katniss crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. “She really said all that?”

 

He laughed, “I swear, no joke. A stiff wind could have knocked me over I was so surprised. Your mom said that she’s been seeing a therapist-”

 

“I guess I knew that,” Katniss interrupted him, “but sorry- go on, I’m just in shock.”

 

“You should have been there in person, it was wild. But anyway, I guess that Dr. Aurelius told her that making amends would help her progress.” Peeta shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, still looking slightly bewildered from the experience. 

 

“Huh.” Katniss turned back to the sink and picked up the glass she’d just used, mulling over what Peeta shared with her. 

 

Life was so weird. 

 

Katniss laughed quietly, a strange blend of glee at finally receiving some validation for her choices mixed with equal parts disbelief that it was actually happening filled her mind. She must have zoned out a little, not realizing that Peeta had moved behind her until his arms looped around her waist. 

 

He pressed his mouth against the back of her ear, and when he spoke his voice was low. “You know, I’m not sure your mother would be thanking me if she knew about all the ways I defiled you while we were in high school.”

 

Katniss grinned, looking down to where his arms were encircling her body. “I don’t know if ‘defiling’ is the word I’d use, but alright. Just high school though?” she asked, turning around to face him.

 

“Well, I made an honest woman of you a few years after that.”

 

“True, and did I ever tell you how glad I am you did?” Katniss stood on her toes to kiss him. She leaned back and stared at him for a minute until a huge smile split her face. “I never thought I’d say this, but I actually have to agree with my mother’s opinion of you.”

 

Peeta leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “Did I ever tell you that I love you, and I wouldn’t change a thing about our life?”

 

“I think you may have mentioned it, but feel free to repeat it any time you want.” 

 

He tilted his head to whisper in her ear. “I will, but what if I don’t really want to talk right now?”

 

“Then by all means...” She stretched her hand out in invitation to him. His eyes lit up, and she laughed, leading him down the hall toward their bedroom.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting one more chapter after this, because I am apparently a liar when I said Chapter 4 would be the last lol...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!  
> This is unbeated so all mistakes are mine. Thanks for reading! You guys are the best. ❤️

“Can I come in?” Katniss asks from the doorway of her son’s bedroom, peeking inside to watch Jack dig through his toybox, half its contents already strewn across his bedroom floor.

 

While their daughter is reserved, studious, and kind, their son is better described as a force of nature. He has a big personality and is fast-talking, faster-moving, but so _clever-_ like a diabolical genius who will one day realize he needs to use his powers for good and not evil.

 

At least that’s what Katniss is hoping. “Dad said you were up here working on something for Grandpa?” she steps inside his room and sits on the bed. It’s a disaster as usual, his belongings scattered everywhere because once again he’s too busy to bother picking up after himself.

 

Jack looks up at his mother with grey eyes, the same shade as the ones she sees reflected back at her in the mirror. “What do you think he would like better? An exploding Thomas the Train or a rocket-propelled Transformer?”

 

Katniss stifles her laugh, knowing it’s a serious question. “Jack, Grandpa is kind of old. You know he has high blood pressure. Maybe a scary surprise isn’t the best idea. I think he’ll be happy just to see you.”

“Yeah but that’s not cool Mom.” She can almost see the wheels turning behind his eyes. “What if I draw him a cool picture of exploding Thomas and a rocket-propelled Bumblebee together?”

 

She sits down beside her little boy and pulls him close to rest her cheek on his soft blond waves. “I think a picture sounds perfect. Do you want to come downstairs with me and work on it? I haven’t seen you all day Love Bug.”

 

He rolls his eyes at her. “Mom, I told you to quit calling me that, it’s embarrassing.”

 

“So you’re worried about being embarrassed now?”

 

He looks sheepish while he admits, “I mean I kind of like it- just don’t let Brandt hear you call me that.”

 

“Alright Squirt.”

 

“Mom…”

 

“No nicknames.” Katniss stands up and walks toward the doorway. “So are you coming downstairs Jackson Mellark?”

 

That gets a giggle from him at least. “Just a minute. I need to grab a few things. But Mom...” Jack adds as she starts to leave the room.

 

“What buddy?” she turns to look back at her son, who’s rapidly collecting an armful of art supplies.

 

“Wait for me, please.”

 

* * *

 

Katniss’s second pregnancy was so much different than the first one. With Hannah they fussed and hoped, watching the calendar where she kept track of her monthly cycles like the daily squares contained the answers to every question posed by the universe. The first day of her missed period they called the doctor, fibbing a bit when the receptionist asked if her period was more than two weeks late. Peeta was too excited to go to work, so he called in an extra employee to help cover the bakery while the two of them went to the lab.

 

After returning home from having her blood drawn for a pregnancy test, the two of them sat on the edge of the couch, waiting for the phone to ring and let them know whether or not their lives were about to change drastically.

 

* * *

 

33

 

Jack caught her completely off guard. The morning Katniss realized she’d missed her period for the second month in a row was the very first time the idea crossed her mind.

 

“I guess I could be,” she said to herself, perusing the different types of pregnancy tests the drugstore carried while Hannah sat perched in the shopping cart with her doll.

 

Katniss’s phone buzzed with a text message from Peeta while she debated between getting a single or double pack.

 

 **P: Where are you guys? I thought you were stopping by for lunch.** ****

Katniss checked the time on her phone and cursed. “Shit.”

 

She was supposed to have met Peeta half an hour ago.

 

“Mommy,” Hannah asked while running a comb through her doll’s hair, “what does ‘shit’ mean? I’ve never heard that word before. And why do all those boxes have pictures of ladies with big tummies on them?”

“It’s a bad word, Hannah, one Mommy shouldn’t use, so please don’t repeat it.” Katniss grabbed a two pack of tests off the shelf and tossed it into the cart next to the laundry detergent and Disney Princess band-aids.

 

“Mommy-”

 

“Come on, Sweetie, we have to meet Daddy.” She typed out a quick reply to Peeta before tossing her items on the checkout counter.

 

**K: Sorry, lost track of time. Be there in 5.**

 

By the time she’d talked to the chatty cashier and gotten Hannah settled in the backseat of the car, the box of pregnancy tests in the trunk had completely slipped her mind.

 

Hannah scampered straight for her father’s small office as soon as the two of them set foot in the bakery. “There’s my pumpkin,” Peeta said, snatching Hannah around the waist and lifting her up to girlish peals of laughter.

 

“Daddy, Daddy, put me down!” she told him, but as Peeta began to set her on her feet Hannah did a complete about face. “No, no. I changed my mind, pick me up again.”

 

Peeta laughed but acquiesced, lifting her quickly but plopping her bottom down on his desktop, a favorite spot of Hannah’s when she visited him at work.

 

Katniss peeked in at the two. “Did you eat yet?”

 

He shook his head. “No, I was waiting for you guys.”

 

She held her hand up. “Hang on, I’ve gotta pee. Give me a few minutes?”

 

“Sure, me and Hannah Banana Bread will wait patiently for you, won’t we?” Hannah giggled, and the two of them had their heads pressed together before she’d even left the room.

 

As Katniss stepped through the office door after her trip to the bathroom, Peeta gave her a funny look. “What’s wrong?” She asked, picking up her purse to look for her roll of antacids.

 

“Hannah, will you tell Mommy what you just told me?” Peeta pulled his daughter over to sit on his lap, and twin sets of blue eyes stared at her as she racked her brain, trying to think of what Hannah could have been talking to her father about.

 

“I just told Daddy that you bought one of those boxes that have pictures of the ladies with big tummies on them.” Hannah replied while looking back and forth between her parents. It was obvious the five-year old didn’t understand the box’s significance.

 

Katniss’s face flushed and she darted a peek at Peeta, but all he did was shrug.

 

“I knew you weren’t taking your pills regularly enough- not that I’m complaining.” Peeta had been dropping hints over the last year about wanting to try for another baby. “And you did say you’ve been more tired lately.”

 

“What working mom isn’t tired?” Katniss countered, not exactly ready to admit that:

  1. He’d been absolutely right about her forgetfulness when it came to taking her birth control pills.
  2. He’d probably impregnated her.



 

Peeta indicated the roll of antacids she was currently holding. “And you’ve been eating an awful lot of those.” He said, setting Hannah down on her feet.

“You’ve been making too much Italian food lately.” Katniss countered, but then let out a loud burp. Her stomach choose to roil with a sound akin to the mating call of a horny sea lion.

 

“Did you have lasagna for breakfast?”

 

Hannah giggled. “No, Mommy had toast, that’s silly!”

 

Peeta shook his head, grasping a scowling Katniss by the wrist and tugging her into his lap. He nuzzled behind her ear, his arms tightening around her waist in a move that he always pulled out when she was especially irritated.

 

“But aren’t you excited?” he whispered like a kid on Christmas morning.

 

“Peeta, we don’t even know for sure yet…” she turned around in his lap, but his eyes were crinkled up in the corners, his teeth digging into his lower lip.

 

It was obvious Peeta was trying to reign in his excitement, and she had to laugh at him because the attempt wasn’t panning out very well.

 

In fact, his elation wasn’t contained a bit. It had actually mutated into contagion status, because Katniss realized she was starting to feel excited about the thought of having another baby.

 

Memories of Hannah at that age came to mind- carrying her for nine months and then holding her, feeding her, rocking her to sleep and it didn’t seem so… scary this time.

 

They’d both been pretty clueless about how to care for a baby when Hannah was born, and there’d definitely been some trial and error. But once they adjusted, the only thing she felt while holding Hannah in her arms was joy.

 

“I might be a little excited,” she finally admitted.

 

Peeta simply kissed her in response.

 

* * *

 

 

“Well, it looks like everyone is here.”

Peeta nudges Katniss as her mother approaches their table.

 

Lilly’s the last one to arrive, and apologizes as she pulls out her chair next to Hannah. “Sorry I’m late, I got stuck on the phone with a customer at closing time.”

 

Peeta’s father smiles at her from the other side of the table. “That’s okay Lilly, we’re just glad you could join us.”

“Thank you Hugh. It’s nice to see you again, it’s been awhile hasn’t it?”

 

Katniss glances at Peeta and catches his eye. He has the audacity to wink so she discreetly rolls her eyes at him.

 

They’d found out recently that her mother and his father used to date each other in high school. Peeta likes to tease her about what would happen if they started dating again.

 

It’s not her favorite thing to think about.

 

“Mom, should I give Grandpa my present now?” Jack whispers from his seat on her right hand side, drawing her attention away from Peeta. Jack has been anxious to see Hugh’s reaction all afternoon, having spent an agonizingly long time drawing his favorite characters in various forms of being blown to smithereens until they finally looked just right to his artists eye.

 

Katniss thinks a minute but shakes her head, leaning close enough that her breath tickles his ear. He giggles when she speaks. “Let’s wait until we all get settled so everyone can see. Sound good?”

 

Just to be sure, her eyes drift over to Brandt to check for any signs of scheming between the two boys.

 

She’d really prefer it if they weren’t asked to leave again.

 

“Okay mom,” Jack says, beaming proudly at his grandfather. Hugh gives him a wink in acknowledgement.

 

Katniss hears murmerring to her left- hand side. Peeta sits next to their daughter with his arm around her shoulders, whispering in her ear. Hannah looks like she’s flustered, shaking her head at whatever he’s saying.

 

What on earth are they talking about?

 

When he catches her eye, Peeta mouths the name “Josh” while Hannah turns her head to look at her menu. In a strange twist of fate, Hannah’s best friend is none other than Madge and Gale’s son, the oldest of four boys.

 

The two have been best pals since Hannah was two years old, when Josh told his dad they needed to “go show ‘Nanna’ the new calves,” and “could she please come out to the farm so they can go swimming?”

 

Madge made the decision to sell her salon to one of her beauticians after their second son was born, cutting her hours down to one day a week so she could spend more time at home. She also started babysitting Hannah on the days when Katniss had a shift that overlapped with Peeta’s hours at the bakery.  

 

It turned out to be the perfect situation for Hannah, because she loved her buddy Josh and she loved the farm. Katniss wasn’t exactly sure how Madge managed to keep the kids in line through the years, especially as she and Gale’s brood grew and Jack was added to the lineup.

 

Things have been a little tense between the two friends lately. Josh just got his first ‘girlfriend’ (like father like son Katniss had to suppose), and Hannah started complaining that _Samantha_ was the only thing he ever wanted to talk about.

 

That lead to an interesting conversation with her daughter, but Hannah had simply rolled her eyes when Katniss asked if she ‘liked’ Josh herself.

 

“Mom, eww. Gross! Josh is just my _friend._ ” Hannah sat and fidgeted for a minute before admitting to Katniss, “I’m just afraid that he’s going to replace me with her, Mom. I don’t want to kiss him or anything.”

 

“What happened?” She asks Peeta quietly.

 

“I think they got into an argument after you two got home from soccer practice. She was online with him for a while, and then sat in the kitchen with me while you were in the shower. I could tell she was bummed out but I couldn’t get her to say what was wrong until now.” Peeta spoke in a low tone of voice, his head tilted so that no one else could hear their conversation.

 

“I hate this.” Katniss looks over his head at their daughter, who is busy talking to her grandma. Lilly has an arm around her shoulders and Hannah is laughing, so she breathes a sigh of relief, figuring that  her daughters argument with Josh couldn’t have been anything too serious. It’s still strange witnessing her mother and daughter, but the close relationship  is just another example of the way her life has turned out different than how she thought it would.

 

Out of the corner of her eye Katniss notices Jack is observing them, and the only way the expression on his five-year old face can be described as is a smirk. Katniss glances over at Peeta and they silently ask each other,  _Why_ _is Jack smirking?_ In one simultaneous motion the two of them train their eyes on their son.

 

“Jack,” Katniss asks quietly, “do you have something you’d like to share with us?”

 

Jack casually picks up his butter knife and runs his thumb across the blunt side of the utensil in a move that reminds Katniss of a scare tactic from _The Godfather._ He shrugs his little-boy shoulders. “Oh, it’s nothing really. It’s just that Hannah doesn’t like Josh-“

 

“We know that…”

 

“She likes someone else.” Jack finishes his thought, setting his knife back down on the table.

 

Katniss expels the breath she’s been holding. “Really?” No matter how confident he seems in his reply, that can’t be right. Could it? “Jack…”

 

“It’s true. Just wait, you’ll see.” Katniss is about to ask him to elaborate, but her line of questioning is interrupted by the arrival of their waiter.

 

After the waiter leaves, Jack finally gets the chance to give his grandpa the handmade card, and Hugh heaps praises on him in great detail before letting both of the boys know he’s proud of them for behaving themselves tonight.

 

Brant in particular beams when his grandpa calls him a “fine young man.”

 

Their server has just started to place their meals on the table when Katniss hears a familiar voice behind her. “Mellarks!”

 

She doesn’t even need to turn around, but she does. It’s Finnick and Annie and their son Fin Jr, who is the spitting image of his father at the same age.

 

Fin is tall and his limbs are corded with long, ropey muscles, with an equally handsome face, sea-green eyes, and the same burnished-gold bronze hair that all the girls (except for Katniss) used to go crazy over in high school.

 

 _Homecoming is tonight,_ she remembers when a tall, slender blonde in a formal dress brings up the rear.

 

“You guys look great!” Peeta stands and gives both of their friends a hug before offering Fin a handshake.

 

 _That brings back some memories._ Katniss takes a drink to hide her wide smile, her mind drifting back to her own first dance with Peeta.

 

Fin slides an arm around his date’s waist. “Yeah, I wish the dance had been a few weeks from now. My birthday is next week, and then I could have taken Dad’s Chevelle.”

 

Katniss snorts behind the cover of her hand, while Finnick and Peeta laugh so loudly people at other tables are staring at them. Even quiet, reserved Annie has a smile on her face.

 

It’s the funniest thing they’ve heard all night.

 

“Do you honestly think I would let you take my car to _homecoming_?” Finnick wipes tears away from the corners of his eyes as he looks at his son incredulously.

 

“But Dad-“

 

“You aren’t setting foot behind the wheel of that car until you’re twenty-one. At least.”

 

Fin blushes fiercely, his handsome face turning crimson as Finnick continues to rib him.

 

“Mom,” Hannah whispers, distress lacing her tone as she leans her body across the seat that her father just vacated. “Make them stop!”

 

From Katniss’s right-hand side Jack chuckles.

 

“I think Fin can defend himself Hannah,” Katniss chides her daughter. “He’s a big boy.”

 

“But mom, look how embarrassed he is.”

 

“Hannah…”

 

Suddenly there is a loud crunching, popping noise and Katniss feels something that, although she wouldn’t go quite so far to describe it as shrapnel, still hurts a little as it blasts her right side. The effect is more irritating than painful, but it’s definitely got everyone’s attention.

 

The table grows quiet and all eyes are on Jack.

 

“So, ahh, anyway… we’d better get going. Don’t want to be late for the dance. Goodbye Mellarks,” Finnick takes his wife by the hand, obviously ready to leave the room before the shit hits the fan.

 

* * *

 

“I was so sure we were in the clear tonight!” In a fit of temper, Katniss whips her shoes off of one foot and then the other, tossing them into the closet.

 

Peeta grasps her by the shoulders and gives her a squeeze. He lowers his mouth until he’s in that sweet spot behind her ear and chuckles, “It’s alright.”

 

“Peeta, it is not alright!” she seethes. “Why does he keep doing that kind of stuff? He’s going to be in juvie in a few years if we don’t do something about this!”

 

Her husband just laughs and steps away to start unbuttoning his shirt. “Katniss, he is not going to go to juvenile detention, I promise. He’s fine.”

 

She whirls around and glares at him, but when the only response she gets is a nonchalant shrug she plops on the edge of their bed and flops onto her back. “I’m going to be visiting him in prison, I know it. And do you want to know the worst part? He lied to me.”

 

Peeta cocks an eyebrow at her as he pulls off his dress shirt. “Did he really?”

 

Katniss crosses her arms over her chest and huffs at the ceiling. “No, not exactly. But when I told him it wasn’t a great idea he seemed to agree with me.”

 

She sits up and glares at her husband, irritated by the fact he called her out. “I didn’t think I needed to be more specific than that.”

 

He joins her on the edge of the bed and pats her knee. “Jack’s fine. He’s not a sociopath or a liar. I think he actually had a very good reason- well, what seemed like a very good reason to him anyway, for what he did.”

 

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

 

Peeta wraps an arm around her waist and tugs until she is sitting closer. Katniss resists for a moment but eventually sighs before resting her head in the crook of his neck. It’s impossible to stay mad at him for long.

 

“Remember what Jack said about his sister? And how upset Hannah was when everyone was laughing at Fin?” Peeta speaks quietly into her ear. “When they showed up at our table I could tell that Hannah didn’t know what to do with herself. It’s pretty obvious that she has a crush on him, but I asked Jack about it later and he confirmed my suspicions. And he admitted to blowing up Thomas as a distraction.”

 

“How did Jack figure it out?” She asks, turning to look at him. Hannah’s distress at the adults teasing made more sense if what he said was true.

 

Peeta laughs, shaking his head. “I didn’t say he wasn’t devious. He was probably snooping around her room when she wasn’t home or eavesdropping when she was online.”

 

Katniss thinks about it for a moment before groaning and covering her eyes. “But Fin! Peeta, he’s fifteen!”

 

“I never said love made sense, now did I?” He kisses the top of her head.

 

Katniss sighs. She probably should have seen this coming with Hannah- it had always just been easier not to think about it. And as misguided as his attempt was, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud of Jack for stepping in to help his sister.

 

Not that she would admit it to him.

 

They sit in silence together until Peeta stands and stretches. “You ready for bed? I gotta get out of these pants and get something for my stomach. I should’ve had something else for dinner- I think I’m getting too old to eat that way.”

 

“I said you should have passed on the garlic.” Katniss gets up to change for bed, moving to the dresser to dig out a pair of pajamas. “Grab me a glass of water when you get your antacids?” She asks.

 

“Sure, anything you want.”

 

“Anything?” Katniss teases him, wiggling her eyebrows.

 

“Give me a few minutes to let those antacids kick in and I’ll rock your world baby.” He wiggles his eyebrows back at her, and Katniss snickers.

 

He reaches for the door handle, but she stops him before he can leave the room. “Peeta?”

 

He turns around. “What is it honey?”

 

She smiles. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too. Always.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love to talk so feel free to leave comments! Find me on tumblr @butrfa14


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